Leg and Shoulder of Mutton

Gigot et épaule de mouton rôtis (roast leg and shoulder of mutton) teach the discipline behind every good roast: the clock offers an estimate, but the meat tells you when it is done. Leave the leg whole for clean, rosy slices. Bone the shoulder, season it inside, then roll and string it firmly so an irregular cut cooks as one even joint.

The old formula assumed a roast station, a practiced carver, and a shelf of finished garnishes ready for luncheon service. It required no saucier, stock never off the fire, or salamander, so inventing them now would be pomp, not fidelity. For one cook and four diners, you choose one joint rather than roasting both; a home oven supplies the heat, a thermometer replaces the carver's practiced touch, and hot water lifts the fond, the browned deposits in the tin, into a proper jus de rôti (roast jus). The parade of garnishes was brigade scaffolding and may go. Firm shaping, deep browning, resting, and careful carving are the dish.

The meat should reach the table with a dark bronze outside, generous slices within, and enough glossy jus to wet each plate. The decisive step is stopping at the temperature suited to your cut: pull the leg at 140°F (60°C) and the rolled shoulder at 154°F (68°C), then let the resting heat finish the work.