Ragout

The term ragout /ræˈɡuː/ (French ragoût French pronunciation: ​[ʁaɡu]) refers to a main-dish stew.

Etymology

The term comes from the French ragoûter, meaning: "to revive the taste". The Italian ragù (the word being borrowed from French) is a sauce such as Ragù Napoletano used typically to dress pasta.

Preparation

The basic method of preparation involves slow cooking over a low heat. The main 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.

Examples

Two 18th-century English dishes from The Compleat Housewife show some of the varying meats, vegetables, seasonings, garnishes and procedures which can be applied to the ragoût.

Popular culture

The 1731 patriotic ballad "The Roast Beef of Old England" by the British writer Henry Fielding comically attributes Britain's traditional military prowess to the eating of roast beef, suggesting that this has been lost since the introduction of ragout from "all-vapouring France".