Tart London: How to make spring lamb ragu

Jemima Jones and Lucy Carr-Ellison serve up a spring feast with a difference
Lucy Carr-Ellison31 March 2016

At this time of year, you can’t escape roast lamb — it’s the default spring meal of choice. But delicious as it is, it can get a bit repetitive. Here, we’ve tried to do something a bit different. This ragu is comforting but light — ideal for those April evenings when there’s still a chill in the air — while the chimichurri, a South American herb relish, introduces a welcome freshness. It’s also extremely easy to make, since once it’s assembled you can just leave it simmering on the stove. You could even cook it the day before you’re planning to serve it and then reheat for 10 minutes, making it perfect for weeknight dinner parties.

You’ll notice we specify that the meat is ‘grass-fed’, which is a bit of a buzz phrase at the moment — but with good reason. Grass-fed animals forage and graze for their own fresh food, unlike grain-fed animals (organic or otherwise) who often spend the majority of their lives cooped up in sheds. Grains are high in calories and encourage the animal to grow quickly, which is why they’re used by many farmers. But the result is meat that has much higher levels of saturated fat and lower levels of Omega-3 fatty acids and beta-carotene (both essential for heart health) and vitamin E (great for skin and a strong immune system).

True, grass-fed is more expensive, but given the benefits, and the fact that the lambs will have had a happier life, we think it’s worth it. If you shop at a local butchers, ask them for guidance; we go to The Ginger Pig in Marylebone, which stocks both lamb and beef from Lucy’s family’s farm in Northumberland. If buying from a supermarket, look out for the ‘Pasture for Life’ certification.

Spring Lamb Ragu

Ingredients ( serves 6)

Olive oil

900g grass-fed lamb neck, chopped into chunks

1 onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 sprigs of rosemary, chopped

2 sprigs of thyme, chopped

1 bunch of sage, chopped

1 tsp crushed chillies

1 stick of celery, chopped

1 fennel bulb, finely chopped

250g chestnut mushrooms, chopped

400g tin good-quality chopped tomatoes

250ml white wine

500ml chicken stock

1 tbsp redcurrant jelly

For the basil chimichurri

1 bunch of basil

1 bunch of parsley

1 bunch of mint (stalks removed)

1 green chilli

2 garlic cloves

1 shallot

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

Squeeze of lemon juice

For the polenta

500g pack of polenta

Butter

Parmesan

Method

Heat a splash of olive oil in a medium-sized, heavy-based saucepan over a high heat then add the lamb. Sear until browned then remove from the pan and set aside.

Turn down the heat to medium and add the onion, garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage, chillies, celery, fennel and mushrooms, then sauté until soft and starting to caramelise.

Add the tomatoes, white wine, stock and redcurrant jelly, reduce the heat to low and simmer for at least two hours (the longer the better).

While the ragu is cooking, make the chimichurri by putting all the ingredients in a food processor and blitzing.

When ready to serve, prepare the polenta according to the instructions on the packet and add butter and parmesan to taste. Serve in a warmed bowl and spoon the ragu on top, garnishing with grated parmesan and the chimichurri.

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