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The joy of a butcher is that one can have a relationship with them, and their knowledge can be so helpful in many ways. They have bones for broths and stocks and all sorts of things that you can’t get elsewhere, whereas a supermarket has nothing but dullness in a plastic bag, boring meat from God knows where. A local butcher is part of the community, an essential part of where we are from and where we are going. They generally are very knowledgeable, and the meat is well looked after and can be butchered any way you like.
Another joy of the butcher is that they will sell you offal, not just fillet and cutlets. Offal is all the wondrous parts that lie beyond the more obvious parts of the animal. They have a little more intrigue and depth to them. Nose-to-tail cooking is respectful to the dead animal. We must eat the whole beast and make stocks with bones.
Braised shoulder of mutton with polenta
Serves six
Mutton is a glorious meat that has gone out of fashion. The taste and texture are superior to lamb, as the sheep are living good, longer lives on grass and heather hills, all adding to the flavour and resulting in tender meat with an excellent fat content. Youth is fun but does not necessarily hold more flavour. A shoulder needs long and gentle cooking, and then your meat will effortlessly fall off the bone.
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Preheat the oven to 160C. Bring the shoulder of mutton to room temperature, which will take around an hour. Season liberally with salt and black pepper and a little olive oil. In a heavy pan, heat the rest of the olive oil and slowly brown the shoulder until it gets a good colour.
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Remove the shoulder and brown the vegetables in the same pan. Add all the herbs and liquids, plus the lemon peel, and simmer for a few moments.
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Using a slotted spoon, move all the vegetables and herbs to an ovenproof dish. Place the shoulder on top of them, and then pour the liquid over it. Cover with a lid or tin foil, and then place in the oven and bake for three to 4½ hours. The meat should fall away from the bone when nudged.
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Take the lid off and put the dish back in the oven at 180C to get some colour on the shoulder.
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Take the shoulder out and all the vegetables. Leave to the side. Simmer the liquid to reduce and get a nice consistency, and pour over the shoulder.
For soft white polenta
If white polenta is not available, yellow instant is almost as good. Just follow the directions on the packet.
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Bring the water to a boil, add the salt and slowly whisk in the polenta. Keep stirring over a low heat for 40 minutes until you have a smooth, porridge-like consistency.
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Add the butter and parmesan; check if it needs more salt. Finally, stir in the crème fraîche. Serve with the shoulder of lamb, vegetables and meat juices.
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