Seasonal Spring Lamb, Unseasonal Weather – Is That Right?
It’s been another scorcher today, with blazing sunshine and gloriously clear blue skies. This unseasonal weather has thrown my body clock right out, I can tell you. I’m thinking I’m in the middle of high summer, not mid-spring. Please don’t get me wrong, this is not a complaint – far from it; I adore the sunshine. But there is a natural flow to the seasons; to the weather and indeed to the food we eat. This is spring; we should be experiencing mild sunshine and eating produce such as spring lamb....or should we?
I discovered, through a little internet research and a flick through Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s ‘Meat’ book, that in actual fact the lamb available in the spring is not, contrary to popular belief, the best to eat. These lambs were born around November/December of the previous year and, sadly, sometimes reared indoors in order to meet demand. We have been led to believe that with the first rays of spring sunshine come the first lambs ready for our plate and the traditional meal at Easter is lamb. But spring is the time when lambs are, by the laws of nature, born, not the time when they are ready to eat. They need a few months of maturity first, which takes us to….summertime. This is when the true spring lamb is available and at its best. Summertime is when you will find the lamb that was raised in the spring and ate the new, fresh grass. That has to be good news for the flavour and quality of the meat. Perhaps it’s time to rethink some of the things we associate with our seasons?
10 comments:
It's funny how little we think about these sorts of things, isn't it? I had no idea about this lamb thing, but the next time spring and summer rolls around, I'll have to take note of the quality of the lamb each time to see if I can note a difference!
I think the whole lamb thing is a bit funny in this country - we refer to "spring lamb" not knowing what it is, and it seems impossible to buy hogget (1-2 year old) or mutton (2+ years old) anywhere - despite them having better flavour.
Personally, I prefer 'older' lamb and I'm sure I'd love hogget if I could find it anywhere!
And I don't understand how we come to eat lamb in this country but not kid?
Ellie - I'm going to do the same thing!
Richard - yep, I've yet to try mutton despite it being on my list to try.
Now THAT is a steak.
That's a very good point Julia! Mutton is wonderful, but only when cooked very slowly for a long time (especially in an Indian or Caribbean stew, where it's often used in place of goat)
Some slow roasted mutton is my idea of heaven!
I find I prefer lamb a little older anyway - during late summer or early autumn.
I think I inadvertently bought some hogget from a butcher in Shepherds bush catering for the Islamic community around there. I was after lamb but the flavour was a lot richer than I expected, so I'm guessing it was old enough to be a hogget.
You really should try mutton, Julia. My favourite way to have it is, like Trig says, in a curry. It's good slow roasted with caper sauce too.
Yes, so called 'spring lamb' tends to have less flavour. Another option is a breed of sheep called 'Hebridean' - if you search Google for Hebridean lamb you will find several mail-order suppliers (not just in Scotland despite the name) - these are actually 'hoggett' as they are killed much later than most lambs (when 12 - 18 months old) and the flavour is amazing. I have heard that the same principle applies to Beef - they taste best around late September as they have been grazing on summer grass and meadows all summer long. If you like a stronger falavour then Herdwick lamb (and mutton) from the Lake District is worth seeking out - some farms sell it direct via mail order and I think the meat book has alist of suppliers at the back or Rose Princes excellent food book 'Savvy Shopper'.
Right guys, I must see if I can get hold of some mutton, and soon!
Thanks very much for that Mark, sounds really interesting.
No problem - if you can't find a local supplier or butcher selling mutton try one of these mail order suppliers:
http://www.moorlandsfarmshop.co.uk/acatalog/freeRangeMutton.html
http://www.blackface.co.uk/scottish_blackface_mutton.asp
(not back in season until September though) Has some good mutton recipes.
http://www.higherhacknell.co.uk/index.php?cPath=22&page=1&sort=1a
http://www.farmersharp.co.uk/farmer_sharps_mutton.htm
(Herdwick Mutton and Lamb)
http://www.foodzone.co.uk/foodshop/meat/Hebridean%20Lamb.htm
(Hebridean lamb/hoggett)
http://www.sheepdroveshop.com/acatalog/Organic_Mutton.html
http://www.borrowdaleherdwick.co.uk/herdwick_home_page.htm
Interesting article here as well about autumn lamb which they confusingly refer to as 'light lamb'
http://www.fornside.co.uk/telegraphmeat.html
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