Kent

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Macknade-Seasonal-Suppers-Spring-2023.jpeg" alt="Macknade Hogget lamb food hall" class="wp-image-86231" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Macknade-Seasonal-Suppers-Spring-2023.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Macknade-Seasonal-Suppers-Spring-2023-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Macknade-Seasonal-Suppers-Spring-2023-1000x667.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Macknade-Seasonal-Suppers-Spring-2023-400x267.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Macknade-Seasonal-Suppers-Spring-2023-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Macknade-Seasonal-Suppers-Spring-2023-788x525.jpeg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<a href="https://macknade.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Macknade Food Hall</a> in Faversham voted Best Deli/Farm Shop in Kent by you in the Muddy Awards, is a food lover’s haven that sits at the very heart of the community.



The Kentish-Italian business has been in the same family for six generations and in 1979 they began retailing – opening Macknade Farm Shop, which later became Macknade’s famous Faversham Food Hall. What started life as a tent in a field on the family farm is now a 10,000sqft food hall, delicatessen, butcher, café and kitchen, well renowned locally for its quality and range of produce.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/macknade-faversham-3.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-57630" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/macknade-faversham-3.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/macknade-faversham-3-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/macknade-faversham-3-720x480.jpg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/macknade-faversham-3-150x100.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/macknade-faversham-3-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



At Macknade, they believe in eating seasonally and buying local where possible (as well as sourcing your favourites from further afield). No one knows more about the best ingredients to eat to stay in tune with nature &#8211; and that are going to tantalise your tastebuds too. 



And the recommendation for this season? Hogget! An under-appreciated meat, hogget is essentially a one year old sheep, older than lamb but younger than mutton. It is super tender, full of flavour and a much more sustainable way of enjoying lamb in this country in the springtime.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1160" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/macknade-hogget-recipe.jpg" alt="Spring roast leg of hogget and cipolle onion champ recipe from Macknade " class="wp-image-85982" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/macknade-hogget-recipe.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/macknade-hogget-recipe-800x619.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/macknade-hogget-recipe-1000x773.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/macknade-hogget-recipe-400x309.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/macknade-hogget-recipe-768x594.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/macknade-hogget-recipe-679x525.jpg 679w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



While much of&nbsp; the ‘spring’ lamb we are accustomed to is from sheep fattened up indoors on compound feeds, or imported long-haul from across the world,&nbsp;hogget has been patiently reared&nbsp;here in the UK. Need more reason than that?



Hogget for Macknade, is reared at Al Palmar, in Shottenden, only a few miles from their Faversham Food Hall, and it is ready to take centre stage on your table this spring…



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/macknade-roast-hogget-recipe.jpg" alt="Spring roast leg of hogget and cipolle onion champ recipe from Macknade" class="wp-image-85983" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/macknade-roast-hogget-recipe.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/macknade-roast-hogget-recipe-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/macknade-roast-hogget-recipe-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/macknade-roast-hogget-recipe-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/macknade-roast-hogget-recipe-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/macknade-roast-hogget-recipe-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-recipe-spring-roast-leg-of-hogget-and-cipolle-onion-champ">Recipe: Spring roast leg of hogget and cipolle onion champ</h2>



(Ingredients, available in store)



<ul><li>3kg Leg of Kentish Hogget</li><li>40ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil</li><li>2 Garlic Bulbs</li><li>4 Banana Shallots</li><li>30g Plain Flour</li><li>500ml Chicken Stock</li><li>A few sprigs of Rosemary</li><li>Maldon Sea Salt &amp; Freshly Ground Black Pepper</li><li>1.5kg Potatoes</li><li>1 bunch Cipolle (Tropea) Onions</li><li>150g Butter</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Method</h2>



Remove the hogget from the fridge one hour before cooking and allow it to come up to room temperature.



Prepare a roasting tin by halving the shallots lengthways and placing in the tin along with the whole bulbs of garlic to create a trivet.



Place the hogget on top, rub with 20ml of olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.



Tuck the rosemary sprigs in to the strings and add 1 litre of cold water to the bottom of the tin.



Cook the hogget uncovered for approximately 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours.



Remove the hogget and shallots from the roasting tin, cover lightly with foil and rest for 45mins.



To make the gravy, add the flour to the roasting tin and mix well, scraping up all the tasty bits.



Place on a low heat on the cooker top and slowly whisk until thickened.



For the champ, peel the potatoes, add to salted water and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until tender.



Meanwhile, prepare the Cipolle onions by removing the outer skin and discarding 2-3 cm off the end. Wash well in cold running water.



Cut the onions so the bulb ends are the same length, about 10-12cm, (keeping the remaining green parts for the mash.) Lay on a baking tray, drizzle with 20ml of the olive oil and season well.



Roast in the oven for 10–15 minutes, adding the shallots from the roasting tin for the last 5 minutes to reheat.



Slice the remaining onions thinly, add to a small saucepan with the butter and sauté gently until softened.



Drain &amp; mash the cooked potatoes and mix in the sliced onions &amp; butter. Season the mash well with salt and pepper.



Carve the hogget and serve family style with the mash, plus crab apple jelly and glazed heritage carrots.



<a href="https://macknade.com/blogs/recipes/roast-leg-of-hogget-cipolle-onion-champ" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Get the full recipe here</a> and pick up all the ingredients from Macknade’s Flagship Food Hall, open daily in Faversham.

Seasonal suppers: Spring roast leg of hogget

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