Mark Hix recipe: Mutton and wild garlic broth

Serves 4-6

Delicious: Mark's Mutton and wild garlic broth (Jason Lowe)

Long, slow cooking not only suits mutton, it also gives you a delicious stock to make this broth. You can vary the vegetables and pulses here – perhaps adding yellow or green split peas, maple peas, celeriac or any other root vegetable. A few cabbage leaves at the end would also add colour and texture.

200g neck of mutton fillet
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2ltrs fresh lamb or chicken stock (or 3 good-quality stock cubes dissolved in the same amount of hot water)
1 leek, washed, cut into rough 1cm squares
1 large potato, peeled and cut into rough 1cm dice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A handful of wild garlic leaves, washed and roughly chopped
A couple of tablespoons of wild garlic purée (see risotto recipe in related link below)

Put the mutton into a large, heavy-based pan with the onion. Pour on the stock, bring to the boil, season, then lower the heat, cover and simmer very gently for about an hour, until the mutton is tender. It may take a little longer as it's difficult to put an exact time on slow-cooking cuts.

Add the leek and potato and simmer for another 10-15 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked. Simmer for another 30 minutes.

Add the wild garlic and simmer for a couple more minutes.

Taste and adjust the seasoning, then ladle into warm soup plates and spoon the purée on top.