Mutton should be roasted with a quick brisk fire. Every part should be
trimmed off that cannot be eaten. Wash the meat well. The skin should
be taken off and skewered on again before the meat is put on the spit;
this will make it more juicy. Otherwise tie paper over the fat, having
soaked the twine in water to prevent the string from burning. Put a
little salt and water into the dripping-pan, to baste the meat at
first, then use its own gravy for that purpose. A quarter of an hour
before you think it will be done, take off the skin or paper, dredge
the meat very lightly with flour, and baste it with butter. Skim the
gravy and send it to table in a boat.
A leg of mutton will require from two hours roasting to two hours and a
half in proportion to its size. A chine or saddle, from two hours and
a half, to three hours. A shoulder, from an hour and a half, to two
hours. A loin, from an hour and three quarters, to two hours. A haunch
(that is a leg with part of the loin) cannot be well roasted in less
than four hours.
Always have some currant jelly on the table to eat with roast mutton.
It should also be accompanied by mashed turnips.
Slices cut from a cold leg of mutton that has been under-done, are very
nice broiled or warmed on a gridiron, and sent to the breakfast table
covered with currant jelly.
Pickles are always eaten with mutton.
In preparing a leg of mutton for roasting, you may make deep incisions
in it, and stuff them with chopped oysters, or with a force-meat made
in the usual manner; or with chestnuts parboiled and peeled. The gravy
will be improved by stirring into it a glass of port wine.