Sicilian Tomato Ragu in a Mashed Sweet Potato Crust

Sicilian Tomato Ragu in a Mashed Sweet Potato Crust

Serves 4 

Ingredients

1.3 lb sweet potatoes
1 lb lamb mince (ground) meat or beef or chicken
1 medium onion
4 cloves of garlic½ tbsp fresh rosemary
½ tbsp oregano
½ tbsp thyme

2 bay leaves
1/2 stick of celery
2 carrots
1 large glass of red wine
1/2 cup tomato paste
Salt and pepper
1/4c or more parmesan cheese

Olive or coconut oil
Milk:Almond,Coconut
Butter
Parsley 

Method

Chop the onion, garlic, celery and dice the carrots and sauté all together in a little oil in a caste iron heavy high sided pot. Dutch oven is ideal. When soft, add the mince meat mix in well, making sure you break up the mince so it becomes as granular as possible. When browned add the wine and leave with a lid on to cook slowly in the juices. 



After half an hour or so add the tomato paste and herbs, mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper. Leave to cook gently on low for a couple of hours. Stir occasionally. Remove the lid for the last ½ hour to reduce the sauce by about ½. Keep an eye on it as you don’t want to cook all the sauce off. 

In the meantime boil the sweet potatoes in salted water until cooked. Then drain, add pepper, butter, chopped parsley and a drop of milk. Be careful not to add to much milk as we don’t want then to be too fine and creamy. Let it cool while the sauce is cooking. 

Butter the sides and bottom of a baking tray and add a layer of mashed potato, which should also cover the sides. Then add the ragu sauce (bay leaves removed). 

Finally, put a top layer of sweet potato mash over the sauce and seal. Add a few knobs of butter, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and place in a hot oven grill (broiler) and grill until the top is golden brown and crispy. 

When ready, sprinkle with a little parsley and serve.