This is a delicate and a favourite meat, it is susceptible of many modes of cooking, and should always be served very hot and with very hot plates, except of course in cases where it may be sent to table as a cold dish. It is a meat which requires care in the cooking, which it will amply repay. The roasting parts are the better for hanging some time, especially the haunch or saddle, but not for boiling, as the colour is apt to be injured. One of the most favourite dishes is the

243. Haunch Of Mutton

The haunch should be hung as long as possible without being tainted, it should be washed with vinegar every day while hanging, and dried thoroughly after each washing; if the weather be muggy rubbing with sugar will prevent its turning sour, if warm weather, pepper and ground ginger rubbed over it will keep off the flies.

When ready for roasting paper the fat, commence roasting some distance from the fire, baste with milk and water first, and then when the fat begins dripping, change the dish and baste with its own dripping, half an hour previous to its being done remove the paper from the fat, place it closer to the fire, baste well, serve with currant jelly.

244. Saddle Of Mutton

This joint like the haunch, gains much of its flavour from hanging for some period, the skin should be taken off, but skewered on again until within rather more than a quarter of an hour of its being done, then let it be taken off, dredge the saddle with flour, baste well. The kidneys may be removed or remain at pleasure, but the fat which is found within the saddle should be removed previous to cooking.

251. Shoulder Of Mutton

Must be well roasted and sent to table with skin a nice brown, it is served with onion sauce. This is the plainest fashion, and for small families the best.

252. Loin Of Mutton Stewed

Remove the skin, bone it, and then roll it, put it in a stewpan with a pint and a half of water, two dessert-spoonfuls of pyroligneous acid, a piece of butter, sweet herbs, and an onion or two; when it has stewed nearly four hours strain the gravy, add two spoonfuls of red wine, hot up and serve with jelly sauce.

253. Breast Of Mutton

May be stewed in gravy until tender, bone it, score it, season well with cayenne, black pepper, and salt, boil it, and while cooking skim the fat from the gravy in which it has been stewed, slice a few gherkins, and add with a desert spoonful of mushroom ketchup; boil it, and pour over the mutton when dished.

254. Breast Of Mutton Crumbed Or Grat1n

If one breast of mutton, cut off the chine bone down to the gristle, if you have a stock-pot on put the breast of mutton into it, let it boil until tender, then take it up to cool; have ready as for the crumbed cutlets, adding in the butter and egg a little chopped mushroom; put it all over it with a paste brush, then put it on a dish and put it in the oven to brown, the sauce will be under it when dished.