Ingredients
| FOR THE LAMB RAGÙ | |
| 2 tablespoons olive oil | |
| 1.2kg boned lamb shoulder, cut in large pieces | |
| 50g anchovies, chopped roughly, oil reserved | |
| 2 medium onions, chopped | |
| 1 carrot, chopped | |
| 1 stick celery, chopped | |
| 4 garlic cloves, crushed | |
| ¼ cup parsley, chopped | |
| 2 sprigs rosemary | |
| ¼ cup tomato paste | |
| 250ml red wine, lighter style such as pinot noir or gamay | |
| 1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes | |
| 250ml lamb or vegetable stock | |
| FOR THE PIE | |
| 400g leafy greens such as silverbeet or swiss chard | |
| 500ml vegetable stock | |
| 350ml milk | |
| 60g butter | |
| 200g quick-cook polenta | |
| 175g cheddar cheese, grated |
I love serving ragù on polenta but serving fresh soft polenta is very time critical, so here I have turned the ragù into a shepherd’s-pie-style dish, topped with a cheesy polenta topping so it is easily made in advance.
The ragù sauce has anchovies for extra umami, but it is not a strong anchovy flavour for those who don’t like it. The ragù is equally as good served with fresh soft polenta, pasta or mash.
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Instructions
| 1. | LAMB RAGÙ |
| 2. | Heat a little of the olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over a high heat and brown the lamb well all over. Set aside. |
| 3. | Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining olive oil and the oil from the anchovies. |
| 4. | Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, parsley and rosemary with a sprinkle of salt and cook gently until softening and just turning brown, about 10 minutes. |
| 5. | Add the tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes. Add the wine and bring to the boil. |
| 6. | Add the lamb back with half the anchovies, the tomatoes (along with a can of water to rinse the can out), stock (add a little more salt if your stock is unseasoned) and bring to the boil. |
| 7. | Lower to a low simmer and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally (add more water if it becomes too thick). |
| 8. | When cooked, shred the meat into the sauce with a knife and fork and add the remaining anchovies. |
| 9. | This can be made 3-4 days (in fact it is better after a couple of days) before serving and freezes well. |
| 10. | PIE |
| 11. | Heat the oven to 180℃. |
| 12. | Bring a little water to the boil in a large pot and steam the silverbeet until just wilted. |
| 13. | Drain and stir it through the ragù, then spoon it into a gratin-style dish. |
| 14. | In a saucepan, heat the stock, milk and butter to simmering and season with salt if needed. |
| 15. | Pour in the polenta in a steady stream, whisking continuously. |
| 16. | Cook, whisking, for about 2-3 minutes until thick and cooked. |
| 17. | Remove from the heat and stir in most of the cheese then quickly tip it over the ragù to cover |
| 18. | Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for 30 minutes until golden and bubbling. |
Recipes & food styling Fiona Smith / Photography Aaron McLean / Styling Fiona Lascelles