Why it works: Parsley and thyme match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,057 recipes. Both carry cuminaldehyde, which smells Spicy, cumin. The science ↓
Leg of Mutton Boned and Forced
Ingredients
Directions
Bone the joint
Select a joint of South Down or other delicate-sized mutton that has been kept sufficiently long to render it very tender.
Lay the joint on a clean cloth spread upon a table, and turn the underside upwards.
With a sharp-edged boning knife, cut through the middle of the skin from the knuckle to the first joint, and raise it from the flesh along the side where the bone runs until the knife is just above it, then cut through the flesh down to the bone.
Work the knife round the bone in every part until you reach the socket.
Remove the flat bone from the large end of the joint.
Pass the knife freely round the remaining bone, as it is not necessary to take it out clear of the meat.
When you again reach the middle joint, loosen the skin around it with great care, and the two bones can then be drawn out without being divided.
Make the forcemeat
Fill the cavities with the forcemeat (No. 1, Chapter VIII.), adding a somewhat high seasoning of eschalot, garlic, or onion; or cut out nearly a pound of the inside of the mutton, chop it finely with six ounces of delicate striped bacon, and mix thoroughly with three quarters of an ounce of parsley, half as much thyme and winter savory, all minced extremely small; add a half teaspoonful of pepper (or a third as much cayenne), the same of mace, salt, and nutmeg, and either the grated rind of a small lemon or four eschalots finely shredded.
Stuff and roast
When the lower part of the leg is filled, sew the skin neatly together where it has been cut open, and tie the knuckle round tightly to prevent the escape of the gravy.
Replace the flat bone at the large end, and with a long needle and twine, draw the edges of the meat together over it.
Roast the mutton thus prepared in a cradle spit or upon a bottle-jack, with the knuckle downwards.
Place it at first far from the fire, and keep it constantly basted.
Roast for nearly or quite three hours.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 7 of 8 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Bacon | 1 slice cooked (8g) | 43 |
| Nutmeg | 1 tsp ground (2.2g) | 12 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Cayenne | 1 tsp (1.8g) | 6 |
| Thyme | 1 tsp dried (1.4g) | 4 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Mace | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Parsley + thymetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,057 recipes
Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).
-
Pepper + parsleytop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Parsley + nutmegtop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,062 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Thyme + nutmegtop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,907 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Mace + nutmegtop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,557 recipes
Shared aroma: myristicin (spice, warm).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Bacon
- Its fat keeps the chopped forcemeat moist and adds savoury, smoky flavour as it renders.
- Eschalots
- Adds a sharp, sweet aromatic flavour that mellows and deepens during roasting.
- Thyme
- Adds a herbal aroma that complements the rich mutton and the forcemeat.
The step that matters
Place it at first far from the fire, and keep it constantly basted.. A large joint needs gentle heat so the centre cooks through before the outside darkens. Frequent basting keeps the surface moist and carries flavour back into the meat.
Swap the mace
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pepper, parsley, thyme, nutmeg):
- Marjoramfits better
- Winter savoryfits better
- Allspicefits better
- Macethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against pepper, parsley, thyme, nutmeg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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