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Type | meat product |
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Course | starter or main |
Place of origin | Scotland |
Region or state | Shetland |
Main ingredients | |
Ingredients generally used | |
Variations |
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Similar dishes | Skerpikjøt |
Reestit mutton (pronounced [ˈriːstɪt̚ ˈmʌt̚n̩], REES-tit-MUT-ən) is a type of salted mutton traditional to the Shetland Islands, Scotland. It has been termed "Shetland's national dish" [1] [2]
The name reestit mutton comes from the Scots language word reest, meaning to cure by drying or smoking. [3] [4] A wooden framework, called a reest, was traditionally placed across the rafters of a building, [3] from which the mutton would traditionally be hung to dry with the aid of smoke from a peat fire. [1]
Reestit mutton was traditionally prepared as a way of preserving mutton so that it could be eaten during winter. It is related to similar Scandinavian methods of drying meat, such as skerpikjøt. [1] If prepared correctly reestit mutton can remain edible for up to four years. [2]
Reestit mutton is prepared by soaking a leg or shoulder of mutton in brine. The correct ratio of coarse salt to water for the brine is achieved when a potato or egg will float in the solution. [5] Some recipes also call for the addition of a small amount of sugar or saltpetre to the solution. [6] The mutton is kept in the brine until the solution has reached all parts of the meat, which can take around three weeks. [5] The meat is then hung to dry in proximity to a peat fire until the meat solidifies. [5]
Reestit mutton has a salty flavour, [7] which is also influenced by the peat smoke to which it is exposed when drying. [1] The food is considered nostalgic by Shetlanders. [1]
The first butcher to sell reestit mutton on a commercial basis in Lerwick, Shetland advertised it as having "an acquired taste that you acquire at the first taste". [1]
Reestit mutton is commonly used as the basis for reestit mutton soup. The soup is made with tatties (potatoes), and is commonly served with bannocks - small savoury scone-like baked items. [1] This dish is commonly associated with the Up Helly Aa fire festival. It can also be used as the filling of a reestit mutton pie. [8]