Roast or Stewed Fillet of Mutton

Ingredients

• leg of mutton
• forcemeat
• 2 ounces butter
• 1 pint gravy or broth
• 2–3 small onions
• 1 faggot of herbs
• 2 carrots
• 4–5 cloves
• 20 peppercorns
• currant-jelly
• brown gravy
• flour

Instructions

1. Cut several inches from either end of a large, well-kept leg of mutton, shaping the remaining fillet to resemble a fillet of veal.
2. Remove the bone and fill the cavity with forcemeat (No. 1, Chapter VIII), flavoured with minced eschalot if desired.
3. Detach the skin sufficiently on the flap side to add more forcemeat if wished.
4. For roasting: roast the prepared fillet for 2 hours (or 1½ hours at a large fire).
5. Serve the roasted fillet with currant-jelly and brown gravy, or with melted butter poured over it.
6. For stewing: dredge the fillet with flour and brown it all over in 2 ounces of butter.
7. Place the browned fillet in a pint of gravy or broth.
8. Add small onions, a faggot of herbs, sliced carrots, cloves, and whole peppercorns if desired.
9. Stew gently for nearly or quite 4 hours, turning the fillet every hour to ensure it is equally done.