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LAMB CUTLETS SHREWSBURY
Serves 4  
Time taken 2-2½ hours, depending on cut used (scrag will take longer than cutlets).
Prepare ingredients before starting the recipe. You will also need a casserole with a lid (or some tin foil for the top), a frying pan (preferably cast iron as it will help to brown the food better than a non-stick pan), a sieve, and a small saucepan.
INGREDIENTS
  • ​8 lamb cutlets or 4 Barnsley chops or 8 pieces of scrag (scrag which is a cut taken from the lean end of veal or mutton)
  • 1 lemon, juiced by slightly warming in the microwave, rolled on the kitchen worktop (both to release as much juice as possible) then
  • ½ lb mushroom, cleaned and halved (or quartered if large)
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled, sliced thickly
  • 1 stalk of celery, de-stringed and sliced thickly
  • ¼ pint lamb or vegetable stock (cubes will do, preferably low salt)
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 4 tbsp redcurrant jelly
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 small glass of red wine (optional)
  • Finely chopped fresh flat-leaved parsley
  • ½ tsp finely chopped mint
  • ¼ tsp finely chopped rosemary (dried will do)
  • Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
  • Olive oil to lightly coat the frying pan
  • Pepper (preferably freshly ground white)
METHOD
  1. Brown the lamb in the coated and pre-heated frying pan, starting with the fat side down. Place lamb in the casserole. Pour excess fat into a ramekin (use to feed the birds).
  2. Lightly brown the carrots, mushrooms, and the onions in the frying pan. Add to the casserole along with the celery and rosemary.
  3. Melt the butter in the frying pan over a gentle heat, then add the flour. Whisk together until there are no lumps, and the mixture starts to turn a gentle brown. Gradually stir in the stock, whisking to remove lumps. Put Worcestershire sauce, redcurrant jelly, red wine (if using) and lemon juice in a small saucepan over a gentle heat, and whisk until blended. 
  4. Gradually add to the contents of the frying pan, whisking all the time. Pour into the casserole through a sieve to catch any lumps. Add the nutmeg.
  5. Bring the casserole to a gentle simmer on the hob, then cover the casserole and place into a preheated oven at 170 C.  Cook for 1 to 1.5 hours for cutlets (test for doneness with a skewer), or 2 hours for scrag. This will result in well-done meat.
  6. Lift the meat out onto a warm plate, cover with foil and leave for at least five minutes to rest. Should there be any fat on top of the liquid in the casserole, dab it off with some kitchen roll. After that, should there be too much gravy, reduce it down in the frying pan (which will allow more moisture to escape than using the casserole). Then add pepper to taste, and mix in the parsley and mint. Put the meat on warmed plates, gently spoon over the gravy (with or without the softened vegetables according to taste).

    This eats very well with Dauphinoise potatoes, Boulangère potatoes or lightly buttered new potatoes with chopped chives, and a green vegetable.
Picture
Gareth Perkins

GARETH PERKINS

(26/07/72 -20/10/24)
Dr Gareth Perkins was well known as a recitalist, having performed at most of the cathedrals in the UK. He held fellowships of all three of the major examination boards in the UK, the first person to do so, and held this record for several years. He gave his final recital in 2012 when his neurological condition and arthritic hamds made playing too difficult. His first church post was at Berry Pomeroy Church at the age of eleven. He had suffered a lifelong neurological condition but became a brilliant musician despite this, and overcome many obstacles that were put in his path of life. 
Gareth was a keen and at times cynical observer. Here is his summary of reasons people give for not attending evening choir rehearsal:
  • “I like to go to a seance that evening.”
  • “Coronation Street is on the television that evening and, if I miss it, I lose track of the story.”
  • “My husband isn’t very well, so I stay with him on Friday evenings.” Me: “But you go to other events in the evening.” Her: “Yes, but he’s always worse on a Friday evening.” Me: “How come? He’s retired and stays in all day, so what difference does a Friday evening make?” Her: “It just does. It’s Friday after all.”
  • “We like meeting up with friends on a Friday evening. It’s a highlight of our week.” Me: “The choir should be a highlight of your week.” Them: “Oh.”
  • “I can’t make it because I’m too poorly to go out this evening.” I subsequently go to the pub with choir friends afterwards for a quick pint, and guess who’s made a sudden and miraculous recovery and is sitting there with friends thoroughly enjoying herself.
  • “It gets dark in the winter and I don’t like driving in the dark.” Me: “But you’re only one minute’s drive away at most, on a straight, quiet road. You could walk it in two minutes, couldn’t you?” Her: “But it’s dark.” Me: “There’s plenty of street lighting and it’s always well lit. You could always take a torch.” Her: “I don’t use my torch.”
  • “We don’t have time, because we like to cook our carbohydrates before we cook our main meal, so it takes up all evening. Me: “Why don’t you cook them at the same time?” Them: “Because it’s the way we always do it. So if we have potatoes, rice or pasta, we always cook them first, then warm them up later in the microwave after we’ve cooked the rest of the food. Then we microwave the rest of the food to warm it up again. It takes all evening. Then we have to eat it before it all goes cold again.”
And then there's the very best choir story yet:

THE CHOIR PARTY

Him: “Most of the choir won’t be at the rehearsal next Friday.” 
Me: “Why not?” 
Him: “The wife and I have organised a choir party at our place that evening, and most of the choir is coming.” 
Me: “Why did you organise it on Friday evening?” 
Him: “That’s the only evening we knew everybody would be free, as it’s choir practice night, so they’d all be available.” 
Me: “But they’re not free! It’s choir practice night, as you’ve observed.”
 Him: “Well, most of them have confirmed that they’re coming to the party, but a few have said they’ll go to the rehearsal instead of the party. Don’t worry - we’ll all be there on Sunday to support you.” 
Me: And unrehearsed for the morning service, and for Evensong. F******g h*ll.” 
Him: “It’ll be a good party. You’d be welcome too if you want to cancel the rehearsal. There won’t be many there after all.”
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