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The term ragout (French ragoût) can refer a main-dish stew or to a sauce for noodles or other starchy foods. (Italian ragù, such as Bolognese sauce are typically used 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; they may be more or less heavily spiced and seasoned.
Origin
Etymology: from the French ragoûter, to revive the taste.
Examples
Two eighteenth-century English dishes from The Compleat Houſwife show some of the varying meats, vegetables, seasonings, garnishes and procedures which can be applied to the ragout.
A Ragoo for made Diſhes
TAKE claret, gravy, ſweet-herbs, and ſavoury ſpice, toſs up in it lamb-ſtones, cock’s-combs, boiled, blanched, and ſliced, with ſliced ſweet-meats, oyſters, musſhrooms, truffles, and murrels; thicken theſe with brown butter; use it when called for.
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.
‘Stones’ are here testicles, of course.
Notes
"Ragout"