A Good Mutton Soup

Ingredients

• 5–6 lb neck of mutton
• 3 carrots
• 3 turnips
• 2 onions
• large bunch sweet herbs (including parsley)
• to taste salt
• to taste pepper
• optional sherry
• 3 quarts water

Method

The strength of this soup lies in extended braising: the mutton neck needs 24 hours of gentle heat to break down collagen into gelatin and render the meat tender enough to fall from the bone. Start by laying the mutton, carrots, turnips, onions, and herb bundle (parsley plus thyme and bay) into a heavy pot with 3 quarts cold water, salt, and pepper. Cover and place over low heat — you want a bare simmer, no rolling boil. The slow temperature allows the meat to release its juices gradually whilst the vegetables soften without disintegrating. Stir every few hours. This isn't stirring for flavour distribution; you're preventing the bottom from catching and ensuring even cooking throughout the pot.

After 24 hours, the meat should shred under gentle pressure and the liquid will have turned milky-brown from the released proteins and fats. Lift out the mutton, carrots, and turnips; set aside. Strain the remaining liquid through muslin into a clean vessel. Stock made this way — from neck rather than bones alone — has body and flavour in equal measure because you've cooked the meat fibres themselves, not just the skeletal structure.

Allow the strained liquid to cool to room temperature. Once cool, a layer of fat will solidify on the surface. Skim this off with a spoon or knife, pressing gently against the edge of the pot to collect every trace. Don't be precious about leaving a little fat in — you want some for mouthfeel — but excess fat will cloud the final soup and taste greasy.

Return the liquid to the pot with the cooked meat and vegetables. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. If the soup feels loose and lacks body, make a slurry by whisking arrowroot (1–1½ tablespoons) with cold water until smooth, then whisk it into the simmering liquid. Simmer for 5 minutes — the arrowroot will thicken and turn from opaque to translucent. A splash of sherry at this point adds a dry edge that cuts the richness of the slow-cooking process. Serve hot. The meat should be tender enough to break with the edge of a spoon; the broth should coat it lightly, not swim in fat.