This slow cooked mutton with beer and herbs is tender and full of flavour. Serve with mounds of mashed potato and green vegetables.

Serves 6

Ingredients

1.8kg or half a leg of Welsh mutton
2 large onions
1 large leek washed
2 large carrots
3 sticks celery
1 bulb garlic
500ml beer
500ml vegetable stock
Halen Môn and black pepper
Handful each of fresh thyme and rosemary,chopped
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp flour mixed to a paste with cold water

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 7

Peel and roughly chop the onion, leek, carrot and celery and put in a bottom of a large casserole dish or roasting tin. Add all the herbs and lay the mutton on top seasoned with salt and pepper.

Pour over the beer and stock and cook uncovered, in the oven for 30 minutes. reduce the heat to 140C/Gas 3 then cover loosely and leave to cook slowly for a further 21/2 hours. Remove the lid and baste the joint with the juices a few times during the cooking process.

Remove the meat and vegetables to a warm plate. Skim any fat from the liquid in the pan and place over a medium heat. Slowly whisk in the flour paste and bring to a boil whisking until the gravy has thickened. Adjust the seasoning and serve with the sliced mutton and vegetables.