0:00:02 > 0:00:04Some of the best British produce is under threat.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07- At the mercy of foreign invaders, market forces...- And food fashion.
0:00:07 > 0:00:12- Produce that has been around for centuries...- Could die out within a generation.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14So together we're on a mission...
0:00:14 > 0:00:19- To save it.- We're going to be giving you the best tips how to find it, grow it and cook it.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22And, crucially, how to put sensational British produce...
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Back on the food map.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00I'm Matt Tebbutt and there's one thing that I'm passionate about reviving.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03It's been overlooked and overcooked for far too long.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06But when done properly, it can be spectacular.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08It's British mutton.
0:01:08 > 0:01:13'Mutton has acquired a bad reputation as a tough, second-class meat when, in reality,
0:01:13 > 0:01:17'it packs a powerful flavour that I believe is even more delicious
0:01:17 > 0:01:20'than the more popular alternative of lamb.
0:01:20 > 0:01:26'So as part of my revival, I'll be visiting a sheep farm to find out where that flavour comes from.'
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Wow! Here they come. Look at them. They're amazing.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31Well, amazing to me. You see them on a daily basis.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35Fantastic. And, you know, these are looking well. They're ideal for mutton.
0:01:35 > 0:01:40'I'll be getting to grips with the quality of their sheep.'
0:01:40 > 0:01:41I feel like James Herriot.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45'I'll be asking one of our top Indian chefs what he thinks of the British attitude to mutton.'
0:01:47 > 0:01:52They have got something fabulous that they've been ignoring for the last six generations.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57'And I'll also be in the revival kitchen conjuring with the exotic flavours of North Africa,
0:01:57 > 0:02:03'as well as helping you rediscover a forgotten British classic.'
0:02:03 > 0:02:06If that doesn't change your opinion, nothing will.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15'As a chef, I know how wonderful and diverse mutton can be.'
0:02:15 > 0:02:20It's good, gutsy flavours that people can recreate at home.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23My love of mutton came from reading old-fashioned cookery books.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26And mutton is weaved within all these pages.
0:02:28 > 0:02:35But it deserves a place on the family dining table and I'm on a mission to go and put it back there.
0:02:37 > 0:02:43'The definition of mutton is generally accepted to be the meat of a sheep over two years old.
0:02:44 > 0:02:50'This makes it very different from the much younger lamb which floods our supermarket shelves.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53'Unlike lamb, mutton is from an animal that has grazed,
0:02:53 > 0:02:59'giving the meat a wonderful deep red colour and a succulent texture.
0:03:00 > 0:03:06'However, our modern, fast-paced lifestyles have steered us away from our slow-cooking traditions,
0:03:06 > 0:03:10'leaving mutton's once-proud reputation behind it.'
0:03:10 > 0:03:16Well, isn't mutton just tough old sheep with the wool taken off?
0:03:18 > 0:03:20'It's this opinion that I want to change.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23'But this isn't the first time I've championed mutton.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27'In 2004, I was involved with a mutton renaissance campaign
0:03:27 > 0:03:31'that set out to get the nation eating this wonderful meat once more.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34'Seven years on, and I still can't find it in my supermarket.
0:03:34 > 0:03:39'So I want to ask the chairman of the campaign, John Thorley, what's going wrong.'
0:03:39 > 0:03:42- Good, good, good. Right, are you going to show me some sheep?- Yep.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45Now, John, you're a key player in the mutton renaissance
0:03:45 > 0:03:47and I remember being part of it a few years ago
0:03:47 > 0:03:50at the big launch, where there was a big drive
0:03:50 > 0:03:53to get mutton back on our tables and get people eating it.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57But I can't find it. Still after this time, I can't find it in supermarkets.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59I can't find it in good butchers.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03Well, there are problems with that, but what we're doing this year...
0:04:03 > 0:04:06I mean, it's been going out to the small family butchers
0:04:06 > 0:04:12- and those that are finding a trade, finding a demand, are actually building up their supply lines.- OK.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16But it has been trialled recently in one of the supermarkets
0:04:16 > 0:04:20and we'll be analysing how that's worked in the next few months.
0:04:20 > 0:04:25So very much a sort of drip, drip effect and, hopefully, sort of build upon a solid foundation?
0:04:25 > 0:04:28Absolutely. Well, that's what's important.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32So, John, why should the British public be eating mutton over their regular Sunday roast?
0:04:32 > 0:04:36Simply because, in the first place, it is a first-class meat.
0:04:36 > 0:04:42It brings a new eating experience and people are looking for new eating experiences all the time.
0:04:42 > 0:04:48Mutton does it. But more than that, it's vitally important for us to put income back into the sheep farms.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53'For my first revival recipe I want to highlight how mutton is as much
0:04:53 > 0:04:57'a part of British heritage as it is a truly tasty meat.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01'So I'm heading to Cotswold Farm Park
0:05:01 > 0:05:04'to meet one of our oldest breeds of sheep, the Soay.'
0:05:04 > 0:05:09- Yeah, these are the Soay. - This is as near as we have to an original sheep bred in this country?
0:05:09 > 0:05:13Exactly, yeah. They are really the ancestor of all British sheep.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16You know, man would have been running around in loin cloths eating these animals.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19You need to be used to eating game or venison
0:05:19 > 0:05:22to enjoy the Soay, because it has a strong smell and a strong flavour.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Right. So it's like the connoisseur's mutton?
0:05:25 > 0:05:27It is really I'd say, yes.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30Obviously, you can get mutton from all the breeds.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34It's just a meat from an animal that's mature, that's grown-up.
0:05:34 > 0:05:40- And the Soay are great conservation grazers and part of our living heritage, part of our history.- Yeah.
0:05:40 > 0:05:46And what people need to do is to buy into the whole idea of what mutton is. So it's a mature animal.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50And think about not only the flavour and the deliciousness of the meat,
0:05:50 > 0:05:56but also the provenance and where that meat has come from and that it's been around for centuries.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00- Before you know it, it'll be on the supermarket shelves.- Yeah. They just need to try it.- Yes.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04'So to further tempt you to try mutton, I'm going to share with you
0:06:04 > 0:06:08'three fantastic recipes that show it off at its best.'
0:06:08 > 0:06:15So this is a piece of Adam's Soay mutton and this is going to be a pressed and crisp breast of mutton
0:06:15 > 0:06:18with a lovely leek and egg vinaigrette.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21I'll put a few anchovies in there as well for a little bit of seasoning.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23But it is delicious, don't be scared.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31Just looking at the colour of the meat and the quality of it.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33There's not big lumps of fat on this.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36It hasn't got a really thick layer running along it,
0:06:36 > 0:06:39which would indicate that this is a really well looked after beast.
0:06:39 > 0:06:45'This belly is going to be braised in the oven with some vegetables and some stock.'
0:06:45 > 0:06:52Now mutton stock I find quite strong, so a lamb stock or a chicken stock would be just as good for this.
0:06:52 > 0:06:58'What I love about braising is that it gives the meat a chance to absorb all the flavours in the stock.'
0:07:01 > 0:07:06The idea of the seasoning in the cooking liquid, it will go right the way through...the mutton,
0:07:06 > 0:07:08rather than finishing it off.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12Seasoning it at the end, you'll just get the top layer of salt and then you'll get the meat.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15But in this way, it gets the flavour running right the way through.
0:07:15 > 0:07:20'The first lesson to preparing great mutton is to allow much longer
0:07:20 > 0:07:24'for the meat to cook and this belly is no exception.
0:07:24 > 0:07:29'After it's been braised in a low oven for two hours, press it in the fridge overnight.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32'In the morning, you will have a wonderfully tender piece of meat
0:07:32 > 0:07:36'full of the flavours of the British countryside and ready to be pane-ed.'
0:07:40 > 0:07:42The meat itself is delicious.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45Absolutely delicious. But what you want to do, by cooking it again
0:07:45 > 0:07:49under that extreme heat, the crispness of the crumb that you're going to get
0:07:49 > 0:07:52and the fat melting again is just utterly delicious.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55'Cut the flat belly into fingers
0:07:55 > 0:07:57'and then prepare your pane mixture.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01'I'm using breadcrumbs with a sprinkling of mustard powder.'
0:08:03 > 0:08:06Doesn't look much at the moment, but the meat is intensely rich
0:08:06 > 0:08:08and there is a certain degree of fat going through.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12So the more mustardy, strong flavours you have to cut through the fat, the better.
0:08:12 > 0:08:20'You also need a bowl of seasoned flour and another with two eggs to help the breadcrumbs stick.'
0:08:20 > 0:08:26So using one hand, preferably, let's get the meat in the flour, finely coated.
0:08:26 > 0:08:27Lose the excess.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34Into the egg and then finally into the mustard crumb.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38A very, very nice, thin coating and that's it.
0:08:38 > 0:08:39That's all you want.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41'The mutton is now ready for the frier.'
0:08:43 > 0:08:46Now this is on about 160 degrees.
0:08:46 > 0:08:51Nothing too hot, because you don't want to burn the crumb before it gets the heat into the middle.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55So I'm going to stick three of those in for now.
0:08:55 > 0:09:00'The heat from the frier will soften the mutton fat and invigorate the flavours of the braising stock.'
0:09:02 > 0:09:08So after a few minutes, that's what you're looking for, this lovely golden brown colour.
0:09:08 > 0:09:13OK, so whip them out and drain them off.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16'I'm serving these delicate strips of mutton on a warm bed of leeks
0:09:16 > 0:09:20'dressed with anchovies and a thick vinaigrette.'
0:09:22 > 0:09:27Lamb and anchovy are a classic. Mutton and anchovy works just as well. Let's have a little bit of...
0:09:27 > 0:09:29the vinaigrette.
0:09:29 > 0:09:34And then on with the little mutton fingers.
0:09:34 > 0:09:39'All you have to do now is to tuck in to a taste of history.'
0:09:43 > 0:09:45Mm-mm! That is...
0:09:45 > 0:09:49even though I say so myself, delicious. You've got everything. That lovely, rounded flavour
0:09:49 > 0:09:52of the mutton. You know, it's only a sliver,
0:09:52 > 0:09:54but it's big and it's powerful and it's rich, you know.
0:09:54 > 0:09:59And I urge you to try this because this mutton is going to wow your friends.
0:10:06 > 0:10:11'A huge part of my enjoyment of mutton is finding out where this great-tasting meat comes from,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14'so that's where I'm taking my revival now.'
0:10:14 > 0:10:17So if I want to learn more about mutton, I've got to come to the source
0:10:17 > 0:10:20and what better place to start than right here in Wales.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26'I'm heading just outside Mochdre in the Montgomeryshire hills
0:10:26 > 0:10:30'to a sheep farm that has been producing mutton for generations.
0:10:30 > 0:10:36'John and Daniel Rees have been working with sheep and enjoying mutton all their lives.'
0:10:36 > 0:10:37Good to see you.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40So you guys over the years must have eaten a lot of mutton.
0:10:40 > 0:10:41We've been brought up on mutton
0:10:41 > 0:10:44and my mother, you know, every roast would be mutton.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47And I think the flavour that mutton offers, it's mature.
0:10:47 > 0:10:53- And, you know, six around the table, we wanted a leg that covered us all. - Right.- And mutton could offer that.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56- So you're advocates of pushing this...- Definitely.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01'On this farm, mutton sales are on a par with lamb and I'm sure that's rooted
0:11:01 > 0:11:05'in John and Daniel's passion for this forgotten meat.
0:11:05 > 0:11:10'As Daniel heads up to seek out the flock, I'm really excited to see something
0:11:10 > 0:11:12'that has graced this valley for centuries.'
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Wow, here they come! Look at them. They're amazing.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20They're amazing to me. You see them on a daily basis.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24Fantastic. You know, these are looking well. They're ideal for mutton.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29- You're proud of your sheep?- Oh, amazing, yeah. Fantastic. - I'll tell you...
0:11:29 > 0:11:33They're good-looking sheep, but the terrain is beautiful, isn't it?
0:11:33 > 0:11:35- Yeah.- It's not sort of scattered...
0:11:35 > 0:11:40When you think about it, because it's so steep, we actually can't get them ploughed,
0:11:40 > 0:11:44so the grasses are old. That's where the flavour comes from.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47- They can't half move.- They can, yeah.
0:11:47 > 0:11:48MATT CHUCKLES
0:11:48 > 0:11:50Where are the sheep off now?
0:11:50 > 0:11:53We'll take them down to the homestead, where we can go through
0:11:53 > 0:11:56and see what goes for mutton and see what goes for further breeding.
0:11:56 > 0:11:57OK.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04'Over the last ten years, sheep numbers have fallen in Wales by a quarter
0:12:04 > 0:12:10'and I was desperate to know what effect this has had on the quality of John's mutton.'
0:12:10 > 0:12:15If you actually look now, there's a lot less sheep in Wales, so there's a lot more grass about
0:12:15 > 0:12:17and therefore we're actually having better ewes.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20- More meat on them, more fat on them. - Right.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23So the quality of mutton has risen to a very high standard.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26- This is the time to start eating mutton?- This is the time to start eating mutton, yeah,
0:12:26 > 0:12:30definitely. And I tell you, it's going to push lamb aside.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34We believe that these ewes here are some of the best mutton in the world.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38'I want to get John to talk me through where some of our mutton cuts come from.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42- 'But to do that, I've got to get hold of a sheep.'- Right, quick!
0:12:52 > 0:12:54I feel like James Herriot.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58- There!- Now you've got him!
0:12:58 > 0:13:02- You want to be able to feel the ribs a little bit. If you can't feel them, he's too fat.- Right.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06- If you were at your restaurant, you wouldn't want that, would you?- Yeah.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09- You want to feel... That, for me, that would be in perfect condition.- Right.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11And then you've got your shoulder, yeah?
0:13:11 > 0:13:14And the belly, belly meat, yeah? You've got a lot of flavour there.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17- And then you've got your Sunday roast here...your leg.- Yeah.
0:13:17 > 0:13:24- What we're going to do now, we're going to taste exactly how good this is.- Right, OK. Not this one.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28- Not this one. - Good. I feel better about that.- OK. - OK, let's go.- I'll let her go.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32Ah! I've never caught a sheep before. It's pretty amazing actually.
0:13:32 > 0:13:38I think on the whole, I probably enjoy playing with the meat, rather than the living beast, as it were.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41Yeah.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46'It's on the sheep farms of Wales that so much of our mutton heritage is kept alive.
0:13:46 > 0:13:52'John doesn't only know how to raise the perfect sheep, he also knows how to cook one, too.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58'He's serving up some classic mutton dishes.
0:13:58 > 0:14:04'Amongst them, a leg fillet, a mutton ham and a Welsh stew, called a cawl.'
0:14:04 > 0:14:06That's great.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09'For me, it's a rare treat to be having dinner with a group
0:14:09 > 0:14:13'of family and friends who are so passionate about their produce.'
0:14:13 > 0:14:19So, guys, what do you think needs to be done to get people eating mutton?
0:14:19 > 0:14:23It's not just substitute lamb. It's a totally different way of cooking.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25You have to spend time on it.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29But the flavour you get, the taste, well worth the effort.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32- There's no additives.- Just grass.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34Yeah, it is. It's as healthy as you can get.
0:14:34 > 0:14:39- Well, without sounding too romantic, I think you can taste it, can't you? The fat is so sweet.- Yeah, yeah.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43And you know it's going to be good quality meat.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45I haven't had any of that actually.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56That was fantastic. That just proves to me how adaptable and accessible
0:14:56 > 0:15:00mutton can be and that scene should be in households all across Britain.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08Now if you've had mutton in the past, chances are it's been boiled and chances are
0:15:08 > 0:15:13you probably haven't enjoyed it. But this is the classic British recipe that's going to change your mind.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16It's boiled leg of mutton with caper sauce.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20So this is the star of the show.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23This is a leg of mutton from John and Daniel's flock.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27Just have a look over it. If there's any lumps of fat,
0:15:27 > 0:15:29just take those off.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32But this is a very well looked after beast.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35'Season the meat generously.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38'Then place it in a large, well-buttered pot.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44'Next, slice five white onions.'
0:15:44 > 0:15:47So that's pretty much all the hard work over.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51I mean, that's it. Just a few onions and then it's done.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53And then you can stick it in the oven.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Nice, long, slow cooking.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Go out, walk the dog, go to church, whatever you want to do.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01And then come back and dive into it.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07'Make a simple aromatic bag from muslin.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11'This will flavour the meat and save you hooking out the stalks once the mutton has cooked.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18'I'm simmering the mutton in white wine, which will supply a crisp compliment
0:16:18 > 0:16:22'to the meat's rich flavour.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24'Then make a cartouche out of greaseproof paper.'
0:16:24 > 0:16:31The idea of the cartouche is that it seals any flavour and any moisture in that's given off during the cooking.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35It's going to hit the buttered cartouche and then go back down on to the meat.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39And that's it. There's no need to bring it up on the stove. Nothing.
0:16:39 > 0:16:46It goes into an oven, hot oven, about sort of 140 for between an hour and a half to two hours.
0:16:46 > 0:16:51'If you thought the mutton prep was easy, then the caper sauce is even easier.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55'Stock, cream and capers go into a pan on a medium heat.'
0:16:58 > 0:17:01That's good. It's lovely. It's delicious, it's rich, it's velvety
0:17:01 > 0:17:04and it's everything that you want that dish to be.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07But, essentially, that dish is done and ready to go.
0:17:08 > 0:17:14'Slow cooking and mutton go hand in hand and, after so little effort, I'm always stunned by the results.'
0:17:18 > 0:17:22There, that's what you want. Lovely, lovely, lovely.
0:17:22 > 0:17:27You can see all that juice that's been created by the onions and that white wine.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30That's just fantastic.
0:17:30 > 0:17:36'I'm serving the mutton with classic accompaniments of boiled potatoes tossed in mint
0:17:36 > 0:17:38'and some red cabbage.'
0:17:38 > 0:17:43This is just great, kind of homely food.
0:17:43 > 0:17:44It's the sort of thing I love cooking.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49And there's the fantastic mutton.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55It just cuts like butter.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02And finally, a little bit of our caper sauce.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Let those juices kind of mingle in.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09'Boiled mutton with caper sauce is a traditional family meal
0:18:09 > 0:18:13'that has largely been forgotten, so I can't wait to taste this.'
0:18:13 > 0:18:15Meltingly tender meat.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Mm.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23Oh, that's good. You know, you've got the saltiness and the sharpness
0:18:23 > 0:18:28of the capers cutting through the richness of the meat, the big, round, full-flavoured meat.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30That's everything you could ever want in a dish.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34So if that isn't going to change your opinion on mutton, nothing's going to.
0:18:40 > 0:18:47What I've learnt so far on this journey, is that mutton is everything I knew it was.
0:18:47 > 0:18:54It is a quality, heritage product that we should be embracing and celebrating and eating more of.
0:18:54 > 0:19:00What I'm not sure, however, at the moment, is how we're going to get people to do that en masse.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04'In search of answers, I'm going to my local town of Abergavenny
0:19:04 > 0:19:05'and the annual food festival
0:19:05 > 0:19:12'that draws a crowd of 37,000 people, all of them passionate about food.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16'Most of the mutton in the UK is cooked in our ethnic communities,
0:19:16 > 0:19:20'where it is still prized as a special and important meat.
0:19:21 > 0:19:27'Cyrus Todiwala has been serving mutton to the masses at Abergavenny for six years.'
0:19:27 > 0:19:31When you look at Indian cooking, because of the spices,
0:19:31 > 0:19:33the onions, the garlic, the chilli,
0:19:33 > 0:19:37everything else that goes into it, mutton can absorb those flavours
0:19:37 > 0:19:40and release its own flavour back into the gravy.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44People forget a classical korma is a Lancashire hotpot.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46- Right.- That's the classic expression of a korma.
0:19:46 > 0:19:51- OK.- So when you cook meat in a chunk with vegetables and potatoes in a sealed pot
0:19:51 > 0:19:55and all the juices that ooze out and form a gravy, that's a korma.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59Now a Lancashire hotpot is an ideal mutton dish.
0:19:59 > 0:20:04So in your eyes, mutton is a key product? It's a top quality piece of meat?
0:20:04 > 0:20:09It is top quality. And where in the world can you get as good as British? You tell me.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12We can't. We have the best breeding grounds in the whole world.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16I think we need to push the British public into believing
0:20:16 > 0:20:21that they have got something fabulous that they've been ignoring for the last six generations.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25'Cyrus's passion for mutton is infectious
0:20:25 > 0:20:30'and, spurred on by his enthusiasm, I'm taking my revival back on the road.'
0:20:30 > 0:20:33My next stop is the capital.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35I'm going to see who else is cooking with mutton.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39'Indian cooking isn't the only culture to embrace mutton.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43'In the East End of London, Warren Richards' speciality
0:20:43 > 0:20:46'is a Caribbean mutton curry and the locals can't get enough.'
0:20:46 > 0:20:48How are you? Good to meet you.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50So what makes your mutton curry so special here?
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Why are all the City boys coming here and lapping it up?
0:20:53 > 0:20:56It ain't broke, so I ain't fixing nothing. So I make it as it is.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58I make it spicy.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02The dish is spicy, so I make it spicy. And they come back for it.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06- Where's your recipe from?- From my mum.- Oh, really?- But like, I've adapted it a little bit.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10- What, have you made it better? - Er, no, I'm not saying that!
0:21:10 > 0:21:15'Warren is willing to share with me the secrets of this family curry.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18'I just hope he's told his mum.'
0:21:18 > 0:21:23- Right, this is the mutton. It's all cut up in nice, neat pieces. - You leave it on the bone?
0:21:23 > 0:21:26- Yeah, I leave it on the bone. You get more flavour out of that.- Yeah.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29- What have we got here? What are these spices?- Right, I've got thyme.
0:21:29 > 0:21:35That's a bit of tandoori powder that I put in it as well.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38- OK. So crossing all boundaries here, aren't we?- Yeah, yeah.- Right.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42- This is Scotch bonnet peppers that I've chopped up.- Are you putting all that in there?!
0:21:42 > 0:21:45- I'm not going to put all that in there.- I was going to say.- No...
0:21:45 > 0:21:47Ay carumba!
0:21:47 > 0:21:51- How often do you have to make this? - Every day I make it, every day really.- This amount?
0:21:51 > 0:21:54- Yeah.- Wow! Big seller then? - Yeah, it's very popular.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58When we used to go to parties when I was younger, it would be curried goat and rice, or mutton and rice.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02I was a human dustbin when I was younger.
0:22:02 > 0:22:03THEY CHUCKLE
0:22:03 > 0:22:06- Right, so we've got hot oil here. - Yeah, we've got oil.- Marinated meat.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08Marinated, yeah. Put it in the pan.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10- Just a bit at a time? - Yeah, a bit at a time.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12Is that enough for now?
0:22:13 > 0:22:16No? All right.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18- Oh, you want it all in? - Put it all in, yeah.- OK.
0:22:18 > 0:22:24Ordinarily, when I'm making some sort of braise or stew like this, I'd be chucking loads of wine at it.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27- Loads of white wine or red wine. - Yeah.- Any beer in there?
0:22:27 > 0:22:29Once you taste that, you'll know it won't need it.
0:22:29 > 0:22:34'It's just over an hour before this Caribbean curry is ready to eat.'
0:22:36 > 0:22:37Mm.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39Oh, that's delicious.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43That's how I like to cook it, just like my mum or like my nan in Jamaica would have it.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47- It's kind of one of those dishes that transports you, yeah? - Yes, that's it. Yeah.
0:22:49 > 0:22:54'Even in Warren's spicy curry, the flavour of the mutton is really in evidence.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00'I love it, but I need to convince you, the Great British public.'
0:23:00 > 0:23:05Hello. Right, I'm not going to tell you what it is. I want you to try it and tell me if you like it or not.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09- I bet it's probably squirrel, isn't it?- There's a little bit of spice in there.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12It's not squirrel, I can tell you that. It's delicious. We've just made it.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18- Yeah, it tastes nice.- Yeah.- It's quite a big texture, isn't it?- Mm.
0:23:18 > 0:23:23- Have you tried mutton? - No.- OK. Well, now you have. - Oh, is that mutton?- That is mutton.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27- I don't think I've eaten mutton for a long time.- You like mutton? - I do, yeah.- Oh, right, brilliant!
0:23:27 > 0:23:31- Would you have reached for mutton if you saw it on a menu?- No.- No?
0:23:31 > 0:23:34- OK. So now perhaps you would.- Yes.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38So there you go, not a bad result that. A few converts under my belt.
0:23:38 > 0:23:43I love it. They were kind of impartial but some of them I think were really getting it.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46But I'm going to go back to Warren for a bit of a top-up.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51So this is my third and final mutton recipe.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55Now, we've seen the Caribbean community use it a lot. The Indian community use it a lot.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58So I'm going to be doing my North African-inspired dish.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02This is going to be my shoulder of mutton tagine.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05I'm using the shoulder for this dish and this is going to be perfect.
0:24:05 > 0:24:11There's lots of connective fat and tissue going through this lovely piece of meat. By the time
0:24:11 > 0:24:15it's finished cooking, you're going to be able to pull it away with a couple of spoons.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18'Start by trimming off any excess fat.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22'Once the meat is cut to a more manageable size, seal it in oil.'
0:24:24 > 0:24:25SIZZLING
0:24:27 > 0:24:32I first came across this dish in Marrakech, Morocco,
0:24:32 > 0:24:37and this really is one of those classic, sort of one-pot dishes, you know. You throw it in the oven,
0:24:37 > 0:24:41a couple of hours, bring it out, put it on the table, big bowls of couscous, or rice,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44or some nice flatbreads and let everyone dive into it.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47It's a really kind of communal eating experience.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50You know, a couple bottles of wine. It just goes down a treat.
0:24:52 > 0:24:57'When the mutton is browned, put it in a pot and add some exotic flavours of North Africa...
0:24:57 > 0:24:59'coriander...
0:24:59 > 0:25:00'cumin seeds...
0:25:00 > 0:25:03'crushed garlic...
0:25:03 > 0:25:07'and star anise, which works beautifully with mutton.
0:25:07 > 0:25:12'Then add a few chopped onions and the rinds of some preserved lemons -
0:25:12 > 0:25:15'a real secret for a great tagine.'
0:25:15 > 0:25:21Take the middle out. You don't want the middle. But the edible part is...the skin.
0:25:21 > 0:25:27It gives a lovely citrus, very mild, lemony, salty flavour.
0:25:28 > 0:25:33'Next, add some saffron, tinned tomatoes...
0:25:33 > 0:25:36'some stock...and two chillies.'
0:25:36 > 0:25:39And that's going to be just enough liquid just to keep it going,
0:25:39 > 0:25:43to keep it moist. It's not a stew, so you don't want to completely cover the meat.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45It's a long, slow sort of braise.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49This is just going to be a beautiful-smelling, delicious-looking
0:25:49 > 0:25:54pot of mutton and veg, and it's going to be thickened slightly.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57You get all those lovely aromas, those sort of North African aromas.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00So lid on - heavy lid.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04Two to three hours until you can just flake the meat apart.
0:26:04 > 0:26:11'Part of the reason mutton has fallen from grace is that it doesn't fit in with the impatience of modern life.
0:26:11 > 0:26:17'Great food doesn't always come quickly and this tagine is no different.'
0:26:17 > 0:26:18Ah, here you go!
0:26:18 > 0:26:22This is the best bit.
0:26:22 > 0:26:27Oof! Wow! It's pretty hot. OK, so that's exactly what you're looking for.
0:26:27 > 0:26:35Lots and lots of juice, flavours are fantastic, but what it needs now is just a little bit more kick.
0:26:35 > 0:26:40'Freshly chopped mint and coriander will give this tagine a real lift.'
0:26:42 > 0:26:44Like that.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46Stir that around.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48And you can smell it already.
0:26:49 > 0:26:54'I'm serving my tagine with couscous and, in true Moroccan style, on one dish
0:26:54 > 0:26:57'so everyone helps themselves at the table.'
0:26:57 > 0:27:00There you go.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04That's what you want, big slabs of meat. And you can see
0:27:04 > 0:27:07how well it's cooked, because if you look at the bone,
0:27:07 > 0:27:10the bone just comes away, like that.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13That's what you want. Like that.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16So...on with the other meat. And you can see
0:27:16 > 0:27:18it's a pretty sizable beast.
0:27:21 > 0:27:26So there you go. That is my North African-inspired mutton tagine.
0:27:38 > 0:27:44'I hope my revival has inspired you to go out and start your own mutton renaissance.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47'If you want to get hold of some, the best place to start is your local butcher.
0:27:50 > 0:27:56'Alternatively, you could contact the sheep farms directly using one of the ever-growing number of box schemes.'
0:27:58 > 0:28:01The advantage of a box scheme is you're able,
0:28:01 > 0:28:03at your own convenience, at your own leisure,
0:28:03 > 0:28:06to order online or over the phone. You can pick exactly what you want
0:28:06 > 0:28:10without having to go to your butcher's and have it delivered to your door.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12There are a few of us producing it because we can
0:28:12 > 0:28:15and we're serving the needs of a few. But, you know,
0:28:15 > 0:28:20if the general public as a whole say, "We want to start eating mutton again," more and more farmers
0:28:20 > 0:28:25will start producing it and, again, you build that revolution where we'll have it back on the plate.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31For me, this has been a real journey of a much misunderstood meat and, you know,
0:28:31 > 0:28:35it's versatile, it's delicious when it's done properly
0:28:35 > 0:28:37and it's out there, so you can all get it.
0:28:37 > 0:28:43And it's high time we took it out of the 19th-century cookery books and put it on our tables today!
0:28:58 > 0:29:01Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd.