ROASTED.
A piece of mutton to roast must not be too fresh, it is much more tender when the meat is rather seasoned, but not tainted, or what is sometimes called "high." When on the spit, place it near the fire, baste immediately with a little melted butter, and then with the drippings. As soon as you notice that a kind of crust or coating has formed around the piece of meat, remove it a little from the fire by degrees; and continue basting till done. The quicker the crust is formed, though without burning the meat, the more juicy and tender it will be.
Roast mutton, like roast beef, is better served rather underdone, but should be a little more done than beef. When properly roasted, the meat, whatever piece it may be, either a loin or saddle, a leg, shoulder, or a breast, may be served with its gravy only; that is, with what is in the dripping-pan after having removed all the fat, also on a soubise or on a purée of sorrel. The above pieces may also be served in the following ways:
With Potatoes.—When dished, surround the meat with potatoes, either fried, mashed, or in croquettes.
With Quenelles.—Dish the meat, place half a dozen quenelles around it, and decorate it with skewers which you have run through a quenelle and then through a craw-fish and stuck in the meat.
With Carrots.—When dished, put all around the meat carrots au jus, or glazed and cut with a vegetable spoon.
With Spinach.—Spinach au jus when done is spread on the dish, the meat is put on it, and served warm. Do the same with a purée of cauliflowers.
BAKED.
All the above pieces are baked as well as roasted; and when done, served exactly in the same and every way as when roasted.
Put the meat in a baking-pan with a little butter spread over it; cover the bottom of the pan with cold water, then put in a quick oven. After it has been in the oven for about fifteen minutes, baste and place a piece of buttered paper on the top of the meat. If the bottom of the pan is getting dry, add a little more water, but it is seldom the case except with inferior meat. When you see rather too much fat in the pan, take from the oven, turn the fat off, put cold water instead, and put back in the oven to finish the cooking. If the paper burns, put on another piece; but by basting often over the paper, it will remain pretty long before burning.