The term
ragout (
French ragoût) refers to a main-dish
stew. (The etymologically related
Italian ragù is a sauce such as
Bolognese used typically to dress pasta.)
The basic method of preparation involves slow cooking over a low heat. The potential ingredients are many ragouts may be prepared with or without meat, a wide variety of vegetables may be incorporated, and they may be more or less heavily spiced and seasoned.
Two eighteenth-century English dishes from The Compleat Housewife[1] show some of the varying meats, vegetables, seasonings, garnishes and procedures which can be applied to the ragoût.
>To make a Ragoo of Pigs-Ears
TAKE a quantity of pigs-ears, and boil them in one half wine and the other water; cut them in small pieces, then brown a little butter, and put them in, and a pretty deal of gravy, two anchovies, an eschalot or two, a little mustard, and some slices of lemon, some salt and nutmeg stew all these together, and shake it up thick. Garnish the dish with barberries.
