The Epicure's Almanac or Diary of Good Living
February 1st : HARICOT OF MUTTON
In ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, the dish so called is sent to table without the slightest reference to the légume after which it is named. I shall give the English method of so dressing it, and annex the true recipe.
Scrape and cut into thin slices a couple of good sized carrots, put these into a saucepan containing a couple of quarts of boiling water ; let it simmer over a slow fire for twenty minutes.
Meanwhile pare and cut into squares,the size of dice, two turnips ; add a head of celery cut small, and a little pepper and salt.
Whilst the vegetables are stewing, put half-a-dozen mutton chops, with their fat cut off and well flattened, into the frying-pan, with sufficient butter to fry them a light brown, without risk of burning ; when this is accomplished, put the meat with the vegetables, and let all stew together for half an hour.
In France the mutton is prepared in a similar manner to the foregoing ; but instead of turnip and carrot, the white bean, the haricot véritable, is substituted ; and during the season, asparagus tops and three or four small silver onions are added,