Lamb shoulder ragù with gnocchetti
SERVES 6 // PREP TIME 1 HR, COOK 3 HRS (PLUS COOLING, RESTING)
“This is our take on the classic sauce – it’s rich and delicious,” says Eggert. “Nothing really compares to a homemade ragù, and once you discover pangrattato, you’ll crave it on everything.” 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 each onion, celery stalk, red capsicum, and small fennel bulb, cut into large dice 10 garlic cloves, crushed
1 long red chilli, split
lengthways
2 tbsp tomato paste 2 rosemary sprigs
2 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
2 thin strips of orange peel 1 cinnamon quill
2 each small star anise and
cloves
10 black peppercorns
100 ml red wine
1 litre (4 cups) passata
50 gm brown sugar
1 kg boneless trimmed lamb shoulder, cut into 5cm pieces
1 tbsp butter
Finely grated parmesan, to serve
GNOCCHETTI
250 gm fine semolina, plus extra for dusting
1 tbsp olive oil
ROSEMARY PANGRATTATO
120 gm (2 cups) breadcrumbs from day-old crustless bread processed to coarse crumbs, then shaken in a sieve to remove fine crumbs 100 ml extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp rosemary leaves
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 Heat olive oil, vegetables, garlic and chilli in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften and caramelise (10-12 minutes). Add tomato paste, herbs, peel and spices, and stir until beginning to brown (2 minutes). Add red wine, passata, bring to a simmer, then add sugar and 2½ tsp salt. Add lamb, cover directly with a round of baking paper or with a lid, reduce heat to low, and braise gently until meat is almost falling apart (2 hours). Leave to cool (1-2 hours).
2 Meanwhile, for gnocchetti, mix semolina, olive oil, 125ml cold water and a pinch of salt in a bowl until smooth and combined. Pat into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and leave to rest for an hour.
3 For pangrattato, stir ingredients in a large frying pan over low-medium heat until golden brown and crisp (15-20 minutes). Drain on paper towels and leave to cool.
4 Skim any fat from the surface of the ragù, remove lamb, shred into small pieces and set aside. Pass remaining ragù through a mouli or coarse sieve into a saucepan, pressing with a large spoon to get as much pulp as possible. Discard solids in sieve, then reduce ragù over medium heat until thick and glossy (30-40 minutes). Return lamb to ragù, adjust seasoning to taste and keep warm.
5 Roll out gnocchetti dough on a well-floured bench until a 1cm-thick square. Cut into pieces about 1cm x 3cm long, then roll each piece lengthways over a gnocchi board, pressing with your thumb; if you don’t have a board, form the shape with a fork. Transfer to trays dusted with semolina and scatter with more semolina.
6 Blanch gnochetti in batches in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until they float
(1-2 minutes). Transfer to ragù with a slotted spoon and stir in butter over low heat. Serve topped with parmesan and rosemary pangrattato.
Wine suggestion A nero d’Avola, such as Brash Higgins from McClaren Vale.