Ingredients
| ROTOLO | |
| 500g ricotta | |
| 100g Grana Padano (or use parmesan) | |
| 20g chives, chopped | |
| 5g salt | |
| a pinch of nutmeg | |
| Egg-yolk pasta dough (recipe here) | |
| butter for frying | |
| BEEF CHEEK RAGÙ | |
| 2kg beef cheeks | |
| 20ml olive oil | |
| 6 medium-sized brown onions, sliced | |
| 1 bulb garlic, chopped | |
| 4 sticks celery, sliced | |
| 250g pancetta in a block, cut into cubes | |
| 80g anchovies (optional) | |
| 750ml white wine | |
| 200ml red wine vinegar | |
| 2 x 400g cans finely chopped tomatoes | |
| 2 bay leaves | |
| PICKLED FENNEL | |
| 3 fennel bulbs, finely sliced, fronds set aside for garnish | |
| 3 cups water | |
| 1 cup white wine vinegar | |
| 1 teaspoon salt | |
| 1 teaspoon sugar | |
| 1 teaspoon fennel seeds |
View the recipe collection here
Instructions
| 1. | ROTOLO |
| 2. | Mix the ricotta, Grana Padano or parmesan, chives, salt and nutmeg together in a small bowl. |
| 3. | Blanch the lasagne sheets in a pot of boiling water for 20 seconds, then put into a bowl of iced water. |
| 4. | Pat the lasagne sheets dry with a clean tea towel and lay them flat on the bench. |
| 5. | Evenly spread the ricotta mix across the whole sheet. Tightly roll the sheet lengthwise. |
| 6. | Cut the rotolo roll into 3cm-thick slices. Heat some butter in frying pan on high. |
| 7. | Heat some butter in frying pan on high. |
| 8. | Evenly brown the rotolo in the hot pan, ensuring they are golden brown on both sides. |
| 9. | Place in the oven at 220℃ for 4 minutes or until the edges are slightly crispy. |
| 10. | Serve with the beef cheek ragù. |
| 11. | BEEF CHEEK RAGÙ |
| 12. | Heat oven to 220℃. |
| 13. | Season the beef cheeks with salt and pepper. Brown in a frying pan, then transfer them to a roasting tray (setting the pan aside for later) and put into the oven for 45 minutes. |
| 14. | While the cheeks are in the oven, heat the reserved pan on a medium heat. |
| 15. | Add the olive oil, onion, garlic, celery, pancetta and anchovies (if using). |
| 16. | Cook until the onions are sweet and transparent, about 15 minutes. |
| 17. | Add the white white and red wine vinegar to the pan and bring to the boil. |
| 18. | Add the tomatoes and bay leaves and reduce to a simmer for 2 minutes. |
| 19. | Remove the beef cheeks from the oven and add the sauce to the roasting tray. |
| 20. | Spread a sheet of baking paper directly over the beef and sauce. |
| 21. | Cover the roasting tray with three layers of foil, ensuring that all of the edges are completely sealed tight. |
| 22. | Return to the oven at 220℃ for 45 minutes more. Reduce the oven temperature to 160℃ without opening the oven door. |
| 23. | Bake for 4 hours or until the cheeks fall apart. |
| 24. | Remove the beef and pancetta from the tray and place into a clean dish. |
| 25. | Use tongs or forks to roughly break the meat into 2cm pieces. |
| 26. | Remove the bay leaves, purée the sauce in a blender until smooth, then pour the sauce over the meat. |
| 27. | PICKLED FENNEL |
| 28. | Put the fennel in a medium-sized bowl. |
| 29. | Combine the remaining ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil. |
| 30. | Pour over the fennel and leave to cool. |
| 31. | TO SERVE |
| 32. | Spoon the ragù onto four plates, and top with slices of the rotolo. |
| 33. | Put some pickled fennel around the plate and scatter over some fennel fronds. |
Recipes & food styling Hayden Phiskie / Photography Manja Wachsmuth