• You need a large leg of mutton. If you don’t know how to bone it out, ask your butcher to do it, stressing that you need to be able to stuff it.

Meat and stuffing

• 1 large leg of mutton
• 30 g (2 Tbsp) butter
• 1 large tablespoon clear honey
• 125 g (½ cup) dried apricots, finely diced
• 1 medium-sized onion, finely diced
• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• ¼ teaspoon of dried thyme
• Freshly-ground black pepper
• 1 beaten egg

Marinade

• 250 g (1 cup / 1–2 ea.) sliced carrots
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 3–4 crushed parsley stalks
• 1 not-quite-full cup of red wine such as claret

1. To prepare the stuffing, melt the butter and honey over low heat, add the other ingredients, and combine well.
2. Force the stuffing into the cavity in the meat, and sew it up with fine string.
3. Combine all marinade ingredients.
4. Place the leg into a plastic bag in a large bowl, and add the marinade mixture to the bag. Let marinate for 8 hours.
5. Bake mutton in oven at 180 °C for 2 hours, checking on progress at 90 minutes. If the meat looks like it is over-browning, it can be covered by foil.
6. Remove the string before carving.
7. Strain the marinade and use 3–4 tablespoons of the liquor to make gravy.