Lamb may be on the menu just now but, says Graeme Pallister, chef proprietor of 63 Tay Street in Perth, take a look at hogget instead
Spring has finally sprung. The lambs are gambolling in the fields and, of course, in restaurant-land new season lamb would normally be beginning to appear on menus with the first of the early year produce now ready for the oven.
Regular readers will know I am a staunch ambassador of seasonal eating, so the confession I’m about to make might surprise you: this very early, super-tender, milk-fed lamb isn’t really my favourite.
Lambs born in January or February have been bred to help us enjoy an all-year-round product. However, they’re not really built for the Scottish winters and so they have spent their short lives being reared indoors. And for me, personally, that distinctive lamby taste just isn’t quite there yet.
Now, before the sheep farmers come running for me, I would say that late season lamb – around August, or September time – is a hard meat to beat.
If you want to eat sheep in April, you should make it hogget. Hogget is sheep aged between one and two years, so not quite mutton, but definitely more mature than lamb and richer in terms of that dense flavour. Many butchers and restaurants will sell you hogget and call it lamb because the majority of us wouldn’t really know the difference.
I’d be willing to bet that many folk tucking into new season meat are really hankering after either a tasty piece of late summer lamb or one-year-old hogget.
There are no disappointing cuts of meat when it comes to these two choices; from the prime rack to a juicy rump, you will find flavour in every mouthful.
It is also a dream midweek meal for busy families, perfect as it is for slow cooking. No more slaving over a hot stove – simply stick it in your slow cooker or a low temp oven and you will enjoy that glorious, mouthwatering flavour.
And if you’re inviting me round can I request my favourite dish of all time? Diced shoulder of hogget, simmered slowly in an authentic bhuna curry and served with plenty of beer and a freshly-made nan bread.
Chef’s tip: If you prefer your hogget cooked more traditionally, then try it with a wonderful potato boulangère. Chop your tatties, onions, garlic and rosemary and spread into a roasting dish. Seal your shoulder of hogget or late season lamb and place on a rack above the veg.
Allow to cook slowly and the natural fats will drip down into the mixture, creating the perfect, all-in-one meal.
