Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Mutton, Leg of. To Roast.— Get a leg of about eight pounds, and which has hung at least a week, weather allowing. During hot summer weather this joint gets quickly tainted. liub it lightly with salt, and put it at once before a brisk sharp fire. Put it at the distance, so says Kitchener, of ten or twelve inches from the fire at first, that it may gradually get warm to the centre. Baste continually with a little good dripping until that from the joint begins to flow. When within twenty minutes of being done, dredge it with ilour, and baste with butter or dripping ; and when the froth rises serve on a hot dish. Make a gravy, throw off the fat, when any gravy, if the dripping-pan has been floured, will adhere to it. Add a little extract of meat to this, and a little boihng water, pepper, and salt. Pour the gravy round the meat, not osrer it. Time, a quarter of an hour to the pound. Probable cost. Is. per pound. Sufficient for eight or nine persons. Mutton, Leg of, with Forcemeat,— This savoury dish is very common in Australia. A leg of mutton is carefully boned so as not to injure the skin, the fat is pared off, and about a pound of the mutton, with an equal quantity of bacon, minced together. A seasoning of garlic, onions, and pickles is then given to it, and the mince is ready; or, it is sometimes prepared simply seasoned with pepper, salt, and a little chopped parsley, if to be eaten by ladies or children. The hoUow made by cutting out the bone, &c., is filled with the mince, and the skin secured over the opening to the underside. Meanwhile, a gravy is made by boiling the bone and trimmings with as much veal broth or water as wiU be necessary to stew the leg ; vegetables are added, an onion and a carrot sliced, a small bunch of parsley, with a seasoning of pepper and salt. Lay slices of bacon over the top of the leg, and stew gently, with the lid of the pan closed, for three hours and a half or more. When done, strain the gravy, boil it rapidly, and reduce it to a glaze, with which glaze the meat, or thicken the gravy simply ^vith browned flour and serve it with the meat. French beans, boiled in the usual manner, drained, and then warmed up in some of the gravy, may be laid under and around the leg of mutton. Probable cost. Is. per pound. Sufficient for seven or eight persons. Mutton, Leg of, with Garlic- The peculiar pungent taste of garlic is very little liked by the English, although we cannot but acknowledge that it adds to the variety of dishes that may at times prove acceptable. The following treatment will considerably soften the garlic's acridness and render it less objectionable, while at the same time retaining its characteristic flavour. Stuff under the skin of a leg of mutton near the shank three or four cloves of garlic that may have been boiled or not, according to taste, the water having been changed repeatedly to mellow their flavour. Roast the leg in the usual way.