Haricot Mutton is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic stew of cold neck or loin of mutton cut into chops, lightly fried with onions and finished in gravy with vegetables that's thickened with flour. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Haricot 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
HARICOT MUTTON (Cold Meat Cookery).
718. INGREDIENTS.—The remains of cold neck or loin of mutton, 2 oz. of butter, 3 onions, 1 dessertspoonful of flour, 1/2 pint of good gravy, pepper and salt to taste, 2 tablespoonfuls of port wine, 1 tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup, 2 carrots, 2 turnips, 1 head of celery.
Mode.—Cut the cold mutton into moderate-sized chops, and take off the fat; slice the onions, and fry them with the chops, in a little butter, of a nice brown colour; stir in the flour, add the gravy, and let it stew gently nearly an hour. In the mean time boil the vegetables until nearly tender, slice them, and add them to the mutton about 1/4 hour before it is to be served. Season with pepper and salt, add the ketchup and port wine, give one boil, and serve.
Time.—1 hour.
Average cost, exclusive of the cold meat, 9d.
Seasonable at any time.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
remains of a cold neck or loin of mutton
60g butter
3 onions, sliced
1 dessert spoon plain flour
300ml good gravy
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp port wine
1 tbsp mushroom ketchup
2 carrots, scraped
2 turnips, scraped
1 head of celery
Method:
Trim off any fat from the meat then cut the cold mutton into medium-sized chops. Melt the butter in a pan, add the chops and onions and fry until the ingredients are well browned (about 15 minutes). Scatter the flour over the surface and stir to combine then stir in the gravy. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 60 minutes.
Add the carrots, turnips and celery to a pan, pour over enough water to cover, bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes, or until nearly tender. Drain the vegetables, slice them and add to the mutton haricot. Return to a simmer and cook for a further 15 minutes,
Skim any fat from the surface, season to taste with salt and black pepper, then add the mushroom ketchup and port wine. Bring the mixture to a boil, take off the heat and serve immediately.
