Baked Minced Mutton is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic method of preparing a shepherd's pie from minced, cooked mutton, onions and herbs in gravy that's topped with mashed potatoes and baked. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Baked Minced Mutton.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
BAKED MINCED MUTTON (Cold Meat Cookery).
703. INGREDIENTS.—The remains of any joint of cold roast mutton, 1 or 2 onions, 1 bunch of savoury herbs, pepper and salt to taste, 2 blades of pounded mace or nutmeg, 2 tablespoonfuls of gravy, mashed potatoes.
Mode.—Mince an onion rather fine, and fry it a light-brown colour; add the herbs and mutton, both of which should be also finely minced and well mixed; season with pepper and salt, and a little pounded mace or nutmeg, and moisten with the above proportion of gravy. Put a layer of mashed potatoes at the bottom of a dish, then the mutton, and then another layer of potatoes, and bake for about 1/2 hour.
Time.—1/2 hour. Average cost, exclusive of the meat, 4d.
Seasonable at any time.
Note.—If there should be a large quantity of meat, use 2 onions instead of 1.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
remains of cold, roast mutton minced (at least 400g)
1 or 2 onions, finely minced
1 bunch of savoury herbs, finely chopped
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp ground mace
2 tbsp gravy
mashed potatoes
butter for frying
Method:
Melt a little butter in a pan, add the onions and fry until golden brown (about 8 minutes). Stir in the herbs and minced mutton then add the mace and season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
Moisten the mixture with gravy and take off the heat. Line the base of a baking dish with potatoes. Add the mutton mix on top then cover this with more mashed potatoes. Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 170°C and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the top of the potatoes are golden brown and the dish is cooked through.
