L1 Recipe – Lamb Ragout with Pearl Barley
Author: Otto Nijenhuis, Executive Chef of Château St. Gerlach
Photography: Via Belgica
The Via Belgica brought delicacies from across the Roman Empire. For example, oyster shells from Roman times have been found around villas in present-day South Limburg. They must have come all the way from the coast – and quickly too. Yet the “common people” ate locally, whatever their own land provided. That’s something we are now returning to with our food. This lamb ragout, made with pure regional ingredients, is a fine example of just how delicious simplicity can be.
Serves 4
For the ragout
- 1 kg Geuldal lamb (stewing pieces)
- 300 g large mushrooms (champignons)
- 100 g finely chopped onions
- 75 g diced celeriac
- 75 g finely chopped carrot
- 75 g diced celery
- 100 ml white wine
- 500 ml lamb stock
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2 sprigs thyme
- salt
- cayenne pepper
For the garnishes
- 150 g dried pearl barley
- 200 g brown shimeji mushrooms (beech mushrooms)
- 1 bunch cherry tomatoes
- 1 zucchini (courgette)
- balsamic vinegar
- good-quality olive oil
Preparation
Ragout
Brown the lamb pieces well in a large pan, then add the mushrooms and fry briefly. Add the onion, celeriac, carrot, celery, garlic, rosemary leaves (finely chopped), and the leaves from 1 sprig of thyme (also finely chopped). Fry everything together for a few minutes. Deglaze with white wine and allow to simmer briefly. Add the lamb stock and let the meat simmer gently for about 50 minutes over low heat. Season to taste with salt and cayenne pepper.
Garnishes
Rinse the pearl barley and bring about 1 liter of water to the boil. Add the barley and let simmer for 45 minutes. Drain and season with pepper, salt, and olive oil.
Remove the shimeji mushrooms from their base and marinate them in balsamic vinegar, olive oil, pepper, salt, and 1 sprig of thyme. Roast the cherry tomatoes in a preheated oven at 200 °C / 390 °F for about 5 minutes, with olive oil, garlic, rosemary, pepper, and salt.
Slice the zucchini into rounds, season with salt and olive oil, and grill over high heat, creating a diamond pattern with the grill marks. Marinate the zucchini in the same oil mixture as the cherry tomatoes.
Serve the lamb ragout with the garnishes.
🍺 Pairs wonderfully with a VIA 6 Dutch Red Ale from Brouwerij Zuyd – “a soft, flavorful beer that enhances the gentle flavors of the lamb stew and the pearl barley
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Get your lamb stew meat from Schaapskool Mergelland
Julianastraat 41B
6285 AH Epen
www.schaapskooimergelland.nl
