How can you stand in the kitchen for 8 hours and wait for a ragout to be ready?! So, I don't, but the pot does on a VERY low heat. I check on it once in a while, but I do other things (a cake, maybe?). Seriously, slow cooking means much better taste, but not more of your time. Instead of turning off the stove after 20 minutes of cooking, you don't. You just leave it to be cooked very well.

I made up this ragout, and you are welcome to use it as you please. I use it as pasta sauce, or my favourite: lasagne. Pasta is strictly homemade! I guide you through the easiest way of making so in the next post.

Ingredienst

For your own health; for the people who work for good and quality ingredients; for animals who give us their milk, eggs or even their lives...and for the environment: buy good, fair and quality ingredients. Organic, biodynamic and fairtrade ingeredients. Buy as local, as you can. And enjoy good taste!

• fat (preferably duck or goose) or oil
• minced meat
• onion
• salt
• white pepper
• cinnamon
• cloves
• chili
• saffron!
• tomato sauce
• red wine
• carrot
• bell peppers
• milk
• butter
• flour
• nutmeg
• lasagne sheets
• parmesan cheese

The key for every dish is to balance the salt, fat and the acid levels. And also that it is salty, sweet, acidic, bitter and umami enough. And time. The more you let it simmer, the more taste it will have. The day after even more, just in case you don't know what umami is, or simply don't "believe" in the fifth taste...

It is never easy to write quantities about a ragout...So lets start with one onion. Chop it into small pieces, just as well the 2 carrots and one bell pepper. Let the onion be caramelised on very low heat for 20 minutes. Add the other vegetables and let is simmer for 20 more minutes. Set aside, but use the same pan. Add a little more fat and roast the meat (ca. 400 g) on high temperature, add the wine (150ml). When the alcohol has evaporated (2-3 minutes) turn down the heat. Add the vegetables, the spices (well, a little bit of everything, especially the saffron). Pour the tomato sauce into the pan (400ml) and let it simmer for as long as you can. Adjust the taste. Add more salt, spices, and a little water or more tomato sauce once in a while. Time will bring more taste to your dish. But seriusoly, cook it for at least 2 hours. Once I tried cooking it for 8...the difference was indescribable.

Make a bechamel sauce from 400 ml of milk, season with nutmeg, salt and white pepper. And now comes the fun part, putting the lasagne together! Lasagne sheet, ragout, bechamel sauce and again, and again. I do not recommend more than 4 layers, because it will never get soft, unless you use fresh homemade pasta. Finish with bechamel sauce and grated parmesan cheese on the top. Bake it on 180 degrees for at least 30 minutes. The hardest part comes now: wait 10 minutes with cutting it. Yes, I know! But this is part of learning how to be patient, just like with the the simmering onions. If you learn how to be patient, you're halfway there to be a great cook.