Start with finding the Mutton, you will need a 2-2.5kg leg of mutton, have a look at the companies https://www.blackface.co.uk or https://rhug.co.uk who will do this.
To prepare the mutton, score the flesh a little all over around ½ a centimetre deep in preparation for the marinade
Then you need to make a paste for the marinade, this will consist of:
- 300ml natural yogurt
- 2-3 fresh chilli’s de seeded
- 4 good sized cloves of garlic pealed
- a good 3-4cm piece of ginger pealed
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- 3 tablespoon’s tandoori masala powder
- 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons of clear honey
- 1 lemon zest & juice
- 2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoon salt
- A few good twists of the pepper mill.
With all cooking this is about personal taste so add more or less of the chilli or other spices as is right for you.
Blend this all together in a blender or food processer until smooth.
Then rub this liberally all over the mutton, massaging the paste into all of the cuts made.
Leave this for at least an hour or ideally over night to absorb the marinade
When you are ready to cook, drizzle with a little light oil and season well
Wrap the leg first in parchment paper, then in a double layer of tin foil
Place on a roasting tray and cook in a preheated oven to 140 degrees Celsius or gas mark 1 and cook very slowly pretty much all day (at least 5 hours until super tender and falling off the bone)
Leave to rest for at least 30 minutes while you get everything else ready
For the onion, red cabbage & cucumber salad
- 1 in number medium red cabbage core removed and finely sliced
- 2 red onions pealed, halved and very finely sliced
- 1 cucumber, de seeded and cut into small dice
- The juice of one whole lemon
- 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar
- 2-3 tablespoons of light oil
- Salt and milled black pepper to season
Literally mix all of these ingredients together in a bowl about 10 minutes before you want to eat.
For the coriander chutney
- A good bunch of coriander with stalks roughly chopped
- A bunch of mint, pick the leaves roughly chopped
- 2-3 teaspoons of red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of caster sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons of light oil
- Salt to taste and milled black pepper
You can either make this in a blender, with a hand blender all together or as I like to make it in a pestle & mortar.
Start with pounding the coriander and mint together until they have darkened in colour and become more of a paste.
Add the sugar and continue to pound, then add the vinegar and drizzle the oil so it all comes together as a thick paste.
Season well and serve, you can even leave this in the pestle for effect
Now for the roti bread, this is super easy but will take a little longer and can be made in advance while the mutton is the oven as the breads can keep.
- 500g of strong flour
- 100ml natural yogurt
- 150-170ml warm water
- 2 teaspoons salt
Again to make this is very easy, mix all ingredients together in a food mixer or by hand, kneading well for 5 minutes or so.
Bring together into a ball and place in a clean bowl, cover and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes.
Divide this into 10-12 balls, in a little flour on the table and on the rolling pin, roll out each ball carefully, you want these to be quite thin so they will cook quickly.
Place your widest frying pan on a high heat brush a little oil with a paper towel and place the rolled-out bread flat into the pan.
Cook for about a minute or so, you will see the bread puff up and bubble, then turn and cook for about 30 seconds on the other side to finish.
Place on a plate or wooden board and cover with a clean tea towel.
Repeat the process until all are cooked and ready
To finish the dish
Remove the mutton from the wrapping and place on a serving dish, there will be some lovely cooking juices, either baste the mutton with these for serving or place them in a bowl next to the mutton.
You should only need a fork and spoon to carve the mutton as it will be soft and falling of the bone.
