A Good Family Stew of Mutton

Modern cookery for private families · Acton, Eliza · 1845

Source: Modern cookery for private families
Status: success · extracted 13 days ago
Not a recipe: No

Ingredients (25)

Stew

mutton chops, freed entirely from fat and from the greater portion of the bone, or in preference a cutlet or two from the leg, divided into bits of suitable size ↝ Veal, leg, top round, cap off, cutlet, boneless, raw [Lamb, Veal, and Game Products]
mild turnips sliced half an inch thick, and cut up into squares ↝ Turnips, raw [Vegetables and Vegetable Products]
carrots of the same thickness ↝ Carrots, raw [Vegetables and Vegetable Products]
One or two minced onions ↝ Onions, raw [Vegetables and Vegetable Products]
A head or two of celery ↝ Celery, raw [Vegetables and Vegetable Products]
cucumber, green onions, shred lettuces, and green peas ↝ Cucumber, raw [Other vegetables and combinations]
cucumber, green onions, shred lettuces, and green peas ↝ Onions, green, raw [Onions]
cucumber, green onions, shred lettuces, and green peas ↝ Lettuce, raw [Lettuce and lettuce salads]
cucumber, green onions, shred lettuces, and green peas ↝ Peas, green, raw [Vegetables and Vegetable Products]
Mutton, free from fat, 2-1/2 lbs. ↝ Mutton, cooked, roasted (Navajo) [American Indian/Alaska Native Foods]
turnips, 3 lbs ↝ Turnips, raw [Vegetables and Vegetable Products]
carrots, 3 lbs. ↝ Carrots, raw [Vegetables and Vegetable Products]
celery (if added), 2 small heads ↝ Celery, raw [Vegetables and Vegetable Products]

Seasoning and Liquid

pepper ↝ Spices, pepper, black [Spices and Herbs]
flour ↝ Flour, 00 [Cereal Grains and Pasta]
salt and black pepper ↝ Salt, table, iodized [Spices and Herbs]
salt and black pepper ↝ Spices, pepper, black [Spices and Herbs]
weak broth or cold water ↝ Water, tap [Tap water]

Optional additions for flavour

a little butter ↝ Butter, stick, unsalted [Dairy and Egg Products]

Broth from trimmings

fat and trimmings of the mutton ↝ Veal, cubed for stew (leg and shoulder), separable lean only, raw [Lamb, Veal, and Game Products]
a quart of water to the pound ↝ Water, tap [Tap water]
a little spice ↝ Spices, paprika [Spices and Herbs]
a bunch of herbs
some salt ↝ Salt, table, iodized [Spices and Herbs]
a small quantity of fresh meat or bones

Instructions (18)

Put into a broad stewpan or saucepan, a flat layer of mutton chops, freed entirely from fat and from the greater portion of the bone, or in preference a cutlet or two from the leg, divided into bits of suitable size.
Dip the mutton lightly into cold water, season with pepper, and lightly dredge with flour.
Add a layer of mild turnips sliced half an inch thick, and cut up into squares.
Add carrots of the same thickness, with a seasoning of salt and black pepper between them.
Add another layer of mutton, then plenty of vegetables.
Add as much weak broth or cold water as will barely cover the whole.
Bring slowly to a boil, and let it just simmer from two to three hours, according to the quantity.
If liked, strew one or two minced onions between the other vegetables.

Optional flavour enhancements

For increased savour, brown the meat in a little butter before stewing.
For even more savour, lightly fry the vegetables before adding them to the stew.
A head or two of celery can improve the flavour.

Summer variation

In summer, substitute cucumber, green onions, shredded lettuces, and green peas for the winter vegetables.

Making broth from trimmings

Cut the fat and trimmings of the mutton up rather small.
Boil them in a quart of water to the pound, with a little spice, a bunch of herbs, and some salt, until the fat is nearly dissolved.
Strain off the liquid and leave until cold to make broth.
Melt the cake of fat on top again, pour free of sediment into small pans, and use for common pies and for frying kitchen dinners.
Note: Less water will produce broth of better quality.
Note: The addition of a small quantity of fresh meat or bones will render the broth very good.

Original Text

A GOOD FAMILY STEW OF MUTTON.

Put into a broad stewpan or saucepan, a flat layer of mutton chops, freed entirely from fat and from the greater portion of the bone, or in preference a cutlet or two from the leg, divided into bits of suitable size, then just dipped into cold water, seasoned with pepper, and lightly dredged with flour; on these put a layer of mild turnips sliced half an inch thick, and cut up into squares; then some carrots of the same thickness, with a seasoning of salt and black pepper between them; next, another layer of mutton, then plenty of vegetables, and as much weak broth or cold water as will barely cover the whole; bring them slowly to a boil, and let them just simmer from two to three hours, according to the quantity. One or two minced onions may be strewed between the other vegetables when their flavour is liked. The savour of the dish will be increased by browning the meat in a little butter before it is stewed, and still more so by frying the vegetables lightly as well, before they are added to it. A head or two of celery would to many tastes improve the flavour of the whole. In summer, cucumber, green onions, shred lettuces, and green peas may be substituted for the winter vegetables.

Mutton, free from fat, 2-1/2 lbs.; turnips, 3 lbs; carrots, 3 lbs.; celery (if added), 2 small heads: 2 to 3 hours.

Obs.—The fat and trimmings of the mutton used for this and for other dishes into which only the lean is admissible, may be turned to useful account by cutting the whole up rather small, and then boiling it in a quart of water to the pound, with a little spice, a bunch of herbs and some salt, until the fat is nearly dissolved: the liquid will then, if strained off and left until cold, make tolerable broth, and the cake of fat which is on the top, if again just melted and poured free of sediment into small pans, will serve excellently for common pies and for frying kitchen dinners. Less water will of course produce broth of better quality, and the addition of a small quantity of fresh meat or bones will render it very good.

Notes

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