Double or Pair of Legs of Mutton

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Extra-large roasting pan, at least 18 by 13 inches (46 by 33 cm), with a sturdy rack
• •Leave-in probe thermometer and instant-read thermometer
• •Unwaxed butcher's twine
• •Large carving board with a juice groove
• •Long carving knife and carving fork

Instructions

1. 1

   Order the double

   Ask the butcher for a true double: both hind legs left connected at the haunch, with the saddle removed. Two detached legs lashed beside one another are not the same cut and will not roast as one. Request the smallest joint that will fit diagonally inside an 18 by 13-inch (46 by 33 cm) roasting pan, with heavy internal fat and loose membrane removed but a thin outer covering of fat left intact.

   Measure the roasting pan and oven before ordering. The butcher can shorten the shanks without separating the legs, which preserves the double while making it manageable at home.
2. 2

   Shape and season

   Pat the joint completely dry. Set both legs in the most compact, symmetrical position they naturally accept, then tie each leg at 2-inch (5 cm) intervals and add two crosswise loops to steady the pair. The two thickest parts should sit at roughly the same height. Season all over and underneath with 1½ tablespoons (27 g) of the salt and 1½ teaspoons (4 g) of the pepper, then leave the joint uncovered for 45 minutes while the oven heats. Loose shaping gives you one cooked leg and one laggard; trussing is the dish, not decoration.

3. 3

   Begin the roast

   Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Set a sturdy rack inside the roasting pan and place the double on it with its best-covered side uppermost. Rub the exposed surface with 4 tablespoons (60 g) of the softened butter. Roast for 20 minutes, until the fat has begun to bronze, then lower the oven to 300°F (150°C). Pour 1 cup (240 ml / 240 g) of the hot water into the pan beneath the rack, keeping it away from the meat.

4. 4

   Roast slowly and evenly

   Continue roasting for 1½ hours, turning the pan front to back once and spooning the clear pan fat lightly over any pale areas. Keep a shallow film of liquid beneath the rack. If the pan dries and the fond begins smelling sharp rather than richly roasted, add hot water a few spoonfuls at a time. Ça se rattrape. Water arrests the scorching without washing the crust from the meat; blackened fond cannot become a good jus.

5. 5

   Add the potatoes

   While the joint roasts, cover the potatoes with cold water in a saucepan, bring them to a boil, and cook for 8 minutes. Drain well and shake them in the pan to roughen their edges. Lift the roasting rack briefly, arrange the potatoes in the rendered fat beneath and around it, then return the joint and roast for another 75 to 90 minutes. Begin checking both legs after an hour, placing the thermometer into the thickest meat without touching bone. If one leg runs ahead, shield it loosely with foil and turn the cooler side toward the back of the oven. Remove the double when the coolest reading is 144°F (62°C); carryover should take it past 145°F (63°C) within several minutes. Verify this before carving, and if it stalls below that point, return the joint to the 300°F (150°C) oven until it reaches it.

6. 6

   Rest the double

   Transfer the double to a large carving board, leave every string in place, and cover it loosely with foil. Rest for 40 to 45 minutes. This is not idle time: the juices settle, the heat evens between the two legs, and the trussing holds the joint while it relaxes. If the potatoes need more colour, raise the oven to 425°F (220°C), turn them through the pan fat, and roast them for 15 to 20 minutes while the meat rests.

7. 7

   Bind the beans

   Put the drained flageolets into a wide saucepan with ½ cup (120 ml / 120 g) of the hot water, the remaining 2 tablespoons (25 g) butter, 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt, and the remaining pepper. Warm gently, shaking the pan rather than stirring hard, until the water and butter emulsify into a light glaze. These are haricots liés au beurre (beans bound with butter), not beans swimming in liquid. If the glaze separates, add one spoonful of hot water and shake again. It will come together.

8. 8

   Make the roasting jus

   Move the potatoes to a warm dish and pour off the excess fat from the roasting pan, leaving the brown fond untouched. Set the pan across two burners over medium heat, add ½ to 1 cup (120 to 240 ml / 120 to 240 g) of the remaining hot water, and scrape with a wooden spoon until the fond dissolves. Simmer briefly until the jus tastes concentrated but remains pourable, then strain it and skim away any excess surface fat. This is the roast's own jus, not a composed sauce, and it should taste chiefly of the meat.

9. 9

   Carve across both legs

   Carry the double whole to the table if the table has room, then return it to the stable carving board. Cut away the strings. Carve thin slices from the broad outside face of each leg, always cutting across the grain, then free the remaining meat by following the leg bones with the knife. Arrange the slices generously on a warmed platter, spoon a little jus beneath them so the browned edges stay proud, and serve the potatoes and butter-bound flageolets alongside. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Order the joint from a proper butcher several days ahead and use the word double. The defining feature is not the number of legs but that they remain joined after the saddle is removed.
• •Lamb is the practical choice and the one the classical table usually made for this cut. Mature mutton brings a deeper, stronger flavor and may take longer, so trust the thermometer in both legs rather than any timetable.
• •Good canned flageolets are an honest choice here. Drain and rinse them gently, then bind them with real butter at the last moment; the garnish should glisten, not collapse.
• •Pour a structured red with enough freshness for the roast, such as a northern Rhône Syrah or a firm Bordeaux. The meat is generous, but the natural jus is restrained, so avoid a heavy, sweet-tasting bottle.
• •Chill leftovers within two hours, well wrapped, and keep them for up to three days. Thin cold slices are excellent with mustard, while thicker slices reheat best under foil with a spoonful of jus.

Advance Preparation

• •The butcher can trim and make the first ties before collection. Inspect the joint at home and reinforce the trussing so the two thick portions sit at equal height.
• •For deeper seasoning, truss and salt the double 12 to 24 hours ahead, then refrigerate it uncovered. Add the pepper before roasting and let the joint stand out of the cold for 45 minutes.
• •Dried flageolets may be cooked a day ahead and chilled in their cooking liquid. Drain them only when you are ready to bind them with butter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 920g)