Lamb and Mutton in A Day

A little while ago I enjoyed a day learning about the finer arts of butchering lamb and mutton, in the company of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. This is my review of the day:

Tasty things to do with sharp knives and sheep innards

There it lay, appearing to quiver like some malevolent yet shapeless creature from a 1950's science fiction B-movie. Tubes protruded menacingly from the object as it seemingly wobbled on the countertop, silently challenging the brave to get closer if they dared. Blood seeped into the tray on which it sat.

Sixteen of us were gathered in a chilly honey-coloured stone barn in deepest Dorset, awaiting the arrival of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, our host for a day of learning about lamb and mutton. The rather gruesome looking item on the counter was a fresh sheep's pluck (heart, liver & lungs) which we would later eat in a couple of different guises, first as a pungent slow-cooked paprikash, using the liver and heart, and then the lungs would be transformed into a spicy and dense haggis. Behind the ensemble of butchers block, cooking hob and counter, hung three sheep carcasses, a couple of salamis, a haggis or two and a completely unidentifiable fatty thing which I was too embarrassed to ask the origin of.

The assembled disciples comprised a fairly broad cross-section of meat enthusiasts, undoubtedly influenced by one of the main evangelists of the virtues of 'proper' food where the quality of animal husbandry is upheld not only as an important element in the final taste, appearance and texture of the finished product, but also as a respectful way to treat livestock whose primary purpose over the last few millennia has been to help feed and sustain human life.

A check of the professions of the crowd revealed an abattoir owner, a couple of smallholders, a builder, a glamorous journalist from a New York based magazine and a few other food enthusiasts, curious to see if some of Hugh's knowledge and enthusiasm could rub off on us. Those I spoke to had all received a gift voucher to attend the day as Christmas presents, as I did.

Hugh, for a famous and very public man, is the very antithesis of a celebrity chef; he has a likeable and approachable manner, and comes across very much as the man next door, but with an extraordinary passion and belief in what he does. He also claimed to be under the weather, as his hoarse voice and frequent requests from the kitchen for water testified, but he was ably assisted by professional butcher Ray Smith who was in charge of the sharp knives and carcass dismantling.

The day began with a quickly constructed dish of devil's kidneys which immediately converted one offal sceptic; the rest of us lapped it up and looked for more. We weren't to be disappointed.

Hugh explained the difference between lamb, hoggett and mutton (less than 1 year old, 1 year old and 2-3 years old respectively), why hanging meat is critical to its flavour and texture, why supermarkets won't do this, and much more besides. At his side, Ray had taken one of the carcasses down and was meticulously breaking it down into three main elements, the hindquarters, the shoulder and the loin.

The first active involvement for the spectators was to prepare some hearts for the paprikash, which was fairly straightforward, but this day wasn't especially about participation, and most were happy to sit and watch.

Once the liver and hearts had been combined with a healthy amount of two different paprikas, some cayenne pepper and stock, the pot was taken into the kitchen at the back for a slow simmer, timed to be ready for the last snack of the day.

And so it continued. A lunch of roast haggis-stuffed mutton loin with creamy gratin Dauphinoise and sautéed cabbage arrived and was wolfed down accompanied by quite the coldest red wine I’ve ever experienced. The afternoon was spent making sausages: chorizo, merguez and 'normal' butcher's. No additives, no rusk, no mechanically recovered bits, these were made of 100% meat and spices. Finally, the brave amongst us tackled the sheep's pluck. Slicing lungs (or lights, as the meat industry euphemistically calls them) is not something normally people would pay to do, but somehow it seemed to fit in well with the theme of the day. Pretty soon there was a stack of lights, liver, and heart being fed into the mincer to create the final dish of the day - haggis. A little pinhead oatmeal gave it some body, and plenty of pepper gave it some bite.

Hugh by this time had had to depart, claiming illness was preventing him from productively continuing. The uncharitable might have taken objection to this considering that the cost of the day exceeded the £200 mark, and the deputy chefs appeared not a great deal more competent than the audience they were teaching, but on the whole the day was an enjoyable and instructive experience. We all left with a goodie bag of merguez, lamb kebabs and a little paprikash. The short straw lottery meant that I also took a haggis away.

Lamb and Mutton in a Day, with Hugh Fearnley- Whittingstall and friends
Location: River Cottage HQ - somewhere near Bridport, Dorset
Cost: £225
Details from: www.rivercottage.net