“Sweet spices in a ragù are typical of northern Italian cooking, and they are surprisingly perfect with meats like lamb, beef and game. The star anise and cinnamon lend sweetness and depth, while the tomato, red wine and rosemary bring this back to more recognisable territory. Don’t let the long ingredients list put you off – once everything is in the pot, this ragù is pretty hands off.” - Danielle Alvarez

SERVES 6

Ragù

1 kg boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 5–6cm pieces

¼ cup (35g) plain (all-purpose) flour 

¼ cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil

1 brown onion, diced small

1 carrot, diced small

1 stalk celery, diced small

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 red capsicum, split in half, seeds removed

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

pinch of chilli flakes

2 tbsp tomato paste (concentrated purée)

2 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked

2 tbsp chopped oregano 

1 cinnamon quill

2 star anise

1 bay leaf

1 cup (250ml) red wine

2 cups (500g) tomato passata (puréed tomatoes)

2 cups (500ml) chicken stock

fine sea salt

To serve

1½ cups (285g) dried polenta, prepared soft 

Parmigiano Reggiano, for grating

good-quality extra-virgin olive oil

freshly cracked black pepper

Soft Polenta

6 cups (1.5 litres) water

1½ cups (285g) dried polenta (not the instant variety)

50g unsalted butter, cubed

½ cup (50g) freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

fine sea salt

Place an enamel-lined Dutch oven or a large heavy-based ovenproof pan with a tight-fitting lid over a high heat.

While your pan is heating, salt the lamb pieces. When the pan is hot, toss the lamb pieces in the flour, add the olive oil to the hot pan and immediately add in the lamb – as many pieces as will fit in one even layer; you will likely need to do this in two batches. Brown the meat on all sides then remove it from the pan and continue with the remaining lamb.

Leave all the fat from the lamb in the pan, turn the heat down to medium and add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, capsicum halves and a good pinch of salt. Sweat until the diced vegetables are soft, sweet and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes.

Add in the fennel seeds, chilli flakes, tomato paste, rosemary, oregano, cinnamon quill, star anise and bay leaf, and cook everything together for a minute. Deglaze with the red wine, running your wooden spoon along the base of the pan to incorporate any of the umami-rich meat caught on the bottom. Finally, add in the tomato passata, chicken stock and browned lamb and bring to a simmer.

Preheat your oven to 160°C. When the lamb is simmering, cover the pan with the lid and transfer it to the oven for 2–2½ hours, or until the meat is meltingly tender.

Remove from the oven. Remove and discard the capsicum halves, rosemary stalks, cinnamon quill, star anise and bay leaf – they’ve done their job.

Divide the hot polenta between the bowls and spoon the braised lamb over the top. Add a sprinkle of parmesan, a drizzle of good-quality olive oil and a good crack of pepper.

Note: I prefer to put long braises like this in the oven, as opposed to cooking them on the stove top, as I find the cooking is more even, so you minimise the risk of burning the bottom. I also like to have it out of the way!

Soft Polenta

Bring a large, heavy-based pot of water to a simmer. Slowly add the dried polenta into the simmering water while whisking. 

Immediately reduce to a very low heat and swap your whisk for a wooden spoon. Leave your polenta to cook over a low heat, with the lid ajar. 

Cook for 45 minutes, giving it a stir every 10 minutes or so, and adding ½ cup (125 ml) water when the mixture appears more like thick, wet sand than porridge. 

To finish, mix through the butter, a few heavy pinches of salt (to taste) and the parmesan.

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