Sheep shoulder

A week or so ago, a return to shoulder of lamb, seemingly not taken since end of November last, as noticed at reference 1. The same sort of occasion, as it turned out. And as it happened, the first shoulder from the new team at the butcher in Manor Green Road. A proper shoulder that is, despite earlier mutterings about a shrink wrapped offering with the shank removed. Not the same thing at all: I dare say such a thing would cook OK, but they look most unattractive freshly out of the shrink wrap and dripping. Not to mention the absence of the shank.

5lbs and 6oz, so a little more than on that last occasion, so cooked for a little longer. Oven on at 180°C at 09:30, meat in 09:45. Out at 12:20 and rested for ten minutes for an early start at 12:30 to suit the younger stomach. Pretty much spot on.

Taken with what passes for broccoli in some supermarkets, mashed potato and roast roots. These last including some swede from Waitrose, the subject of a special, bicycle enabled, Sunday morning visit. Where the TLS was missing and proper saucisson sec was still missing. But the two member of staff I spoke with were both very pleasant. Maybe that would have worn a bit thin by the end of their shifts.

First bottle was a 2020 Gavi from Gavi, and although I forgot to snap the back of the bottle, on the original snap, that is to say not the one visible here, I was able to zoom into 'araldica castelvero', with the phrase 'bottled by' suggesting some sort of aggregating facility, from where I got to reference 2. The web site of what appears to be quite a big operation. But where this particular label does not appear, so perhaps an export special. Went down fine.

What was left of the steamed jam sponge pudding, a favourite with both the adult males present. It followed the roast meat well. And I think it did shrink a little before it next appeared.

Second bottle was rather older, coming in at 2012, once again from Frick of Pfaffenheim.

After which it was time for a bit of brain testing using the game picked up in a junk shop in Shanklin, some time before the plague, so probably three or four years ago. I am pleased to say that I made genius on my second attempt, while some of those present failed to get beyond moron.

We were then treated to a lengthy demonstration of nappy changing involving a doll and a young lady aged around 30 months.

After which I moved onto colour work with a slightly older young lady.

Some time later I went on to win at Scrabble, with my being helped along by a good spot for 'czar', which BH looked a bit dubious about but which I did not withdraw. While BH tried for a dodgy word, but withdrew when I looked a bit dubious. Fortunately, her alternative scored more. Both words turned out to be in the dictionary.

The shoulder at the end of the first shift. It went on to provide two more good sized portions the next day, so six adult portions and two child portions altogether, so around £4 a portion.

PS 1: I had thought moron was to do with a quack psychiatrist of the 19th century called Dr. Moroni, but the archive turns up reference 3, which suggests that this non-fact has been lodged in my brain for at least a decade. I was also reminded of a respectable painter called Moroni, represented in the National Gallery, and of the other, probably obsolete, use of moron for a salamander. In any event, I suspect moron in its primary usage of being much commoner when I was young than it is now.

PS 2: OneDrive well behind on synchronising my telephone with my laptop, with lots of snaps from this occasion, eight days ago now, still missing. Am I going to have to resort to using a cable again? 

References

Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2021/11/more-sheep.html.

Reference 2: https://www.araldicavini.com/.

Reference 3: http://pumpkinstrokemarrow.blogspot.com/2011/01/pedantry.html.

Reference 4: http://psmv4.blogspot.com/2019/03/iq.html. A previous outing for the moronic game. The cottage pie, mandatory at that time, just about visible.