Mint Sauce – get pounding!

A nose-tinglingly fresh mint sauce with a vinegary bite was a standard accompaniment to a roast of lamb or hogget when I grew up. The sharp tangy vinegar cut through the fattiness of the meat (and lamb and hogget were much fattier then!), though its sharpness was tempered with sugar to produce a sweet-sour effect, and the welcome freshness of mint worked a treat.

1 Use gorgeously fresh unblemished mint. Rinse, shake off as much water as possible, then remove leaves from stems, pat dry with paper towels and measure. You need 30g (1 generous oz) leaves, or 1 tightly packed cup of leaves.

2 For the best flavour, pound mint with half the sugar in a mortar with a pestle until it turns to a purée. Alternatively, chop the mint with half the sugar using a large sharp knife. (Pounding or chopping the mint with sugar helps prevent it discolouring, although, it will still lose some of its brightness.)

3 Pour on hot water and the rest of the sugar. Stir to dissolve. Add vinegar. Cool and serve.

Cooks Notes

The mint sauce will keep covered and refrigerated for several days.

Ring the changes and add the finely grated zest of 1 orange, or sweeten with a little dissolved redcurrant jelly.

When trimming mint, cut each sprig right down to just above ground level to encourage bushier growth. If you trim only the tops you’ll end up with spindly growth and rust may set in.