1 x approx. 1.5-2kg Welsh organic mutton (or hogget) shoulder, boned and rolled
1 heaped tsp smoked paprika
For the aromatic paste
125g Moch Coch Chorizo, thinly sliced
2-3 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1tsp Halen Môn Anglesey Sea Salt Oak Smoked Water
100g Parsons Welsh laverbread
butter, to grease
3-4 medium potatoes, finely sliced
250ml warm vegetable stock
For the laverbread sauce
60g Caws Tefi Salted Butter
250g onions, finely chopped
4tbsp double cream
2tsp plain flower
1 fresh bay leaf
2 thyme sprigs
350ml Daisy Bank Dairy Organic Whole Milk, plus extra if needed
2-3tbsp Parsons Welsh laverbread
Halen Môn Anglesey Sea Salt (PDO), to taste
Method
Preheat the oven to 140C/ 120C F/Gas 1. Unroll the mutton shoulder and let it come up to room temperature.
Meanwhile, chop the sliced chorizo as finely as possible, put in a food processor with the garlic, smoked water and laverbread, and process in short bursts until it resembles a rough paste. Spread the mixture all over the inside of the mutton (it is intended for flavouring rather than stuffing). Season well, roll up again and tie with string.
Butter the base of a large roasting pan or cast iron dish and spread the sliced potatoes over the centre of the base, making a bed for the meat to sit on. Season well and place the mutton, seam-side down, on top of the potatoes. Pour the stock around the mutton and potatoes. Cover the roasting pan tightly with a layer of thick foil and cook in the oven for 4 hours.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Melt 30g of the butter in a heavy pan, add 4tbsp water and the finely chopped onions and cook for around 20-25 minutes, preferably covered with a lid or paper cartouche to create a steamy atmosphere – you can add a little more water if it evaporates too quickly. The onions should not brown at all but become meltingly soft and transparent. Add the double cream and set aside.
Melt the remaining 30g butter, add the bay leaf and thyme sprigs, followed by the flour, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and whisk in the milk.
Return to the heat and bring slowly to the boil, stirring or whisking continuously. Simmer for 2 minutes, remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs and mix with the softened onions and the laverbread. Season with salt and pepper and cover with cling film, pressing it on to the sauce to prevent a skin forming. Set aside until the meat is ready.
After the mutton has been cooking for 4 hours, remove the foil, increase the oven to 180C/160C F/Gas 4 and cook for around another 30 minutes to brown and crisp the top.
Meanwhile, reheat the laverbread sauce, adding a little extra milk if it’s too thick (it should be almost pourable). When the mutton is cooked, pour the juices from the tin into a pan, whisk in the paprika and boil to reduce slightly.
Slice the meat thickly or pull into large pieces. Drizzle over the reduced pan juices and serve with the potatoes and laverbread sauce.
Recipes by Maxine Clark, food styling by Lizzie Harris, Photography by Peter Cassidy, props styling by Angela Dukes
