Recipes

Hogget rump, braised courgettes & green olive dressing

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One of my favourite cuts from a sheep, the rump has a fantastic combination of flavour, fat covering, and texture. Here, cooked over coals and served with courgettes slowly braised in olive oil and a bright dressing of green olives, chilli, and garlic.

This is a dish that summons the spirit of the summer months and really, I would only suggest eating it in said months. While the courgettes are still in their peak season, and the weather is ripe for outdoor cooking and eating. Everything served warm, as the main course of a long and relaxed lunch, with an abundance of wine and good company. I think I can see some bread on the table and some sort of fruit-based dessert in the distance — perhaps in the form of a frangipane tart. I’m all of a sudden lost in a dream, a beautiful, pleasing dream. Take me to this lunch table…

Hogget rump cooked pink, served alongside braised courgettes and a green olive dressing.

Serves 2

Ingredients

Olive dressing

Shop the ingredients

Directions

  1. Remove the hogget rumps from the fridge and leave them to come up to room temperature.
  2. Set a heavy-bottomed pan over a medium heat and add 5 tablespoons of olive oil, the garlic, and chilli flakes. Season with sea salt and cook gently for 2-3 minutes so the garlic can release its aroma.
  3. Then add the courgettes and a pinch more salt. Stir together, then cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 25 minutes like this, stirring occasionally.
  4. Peel strips of zest off the lemon and add to the pan. Cook for 2 more minutes, then remove from the heat and add the mint sprigs, stir together, and leave to sit for about 10 minutes.
  5. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. A little squeeze of lemon juice is a smart move.

For the olive dressing:

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and season with sea salt. Set aside for 5 minutes so all the flavours may intermingle. Then taste again and adjust as necessary.

To cook the hogget:

  1. Season the rumps well with sea salt.
  2. Burn down the barbeque until the flames have subsided and the charcoal is burning white.
  3. Find the cooler part of the grill and place the rumps, with the fat facing down and cook for 5-6 minutes, moving it around regularly, so the fat may render and take on a little colour.
  4. Then flip the rumps and start browning off the other sides. The trick with cooking a cut like this on a bbq is to keep it moving around. A little blast on the higher heat when necessary and then back to the cooler parts. Cook for 8-10 minutes like this and then remove and rest for a further 10 minutes — downwind of the smoke or on a shelf raised above the grill, if possible.

For 15 years George worked in some of London’s most loved restaurants, including Padella and Primeur, and had a 5-year stint as Head Chef at the Garden Museum Café. George earned rave reviews for his simple, thoughtful cookery, his dishes were firmly rooted in the classics, and always paid homage to the produce. In 2021 George realised a long-held ambition and released his first cookbook entitled, A Year In The Kitchen. It celebrates the annual cookery cycle, taking readers on a journey through the British seasons, showcasing native produce, and inspiring year round creativity. In 2022 George left London behind, and moved back home to Yorkshire. His passion for seasonal cookery and reverence of quality British ingredients proved that for George, home is where the heart is. Like his food, George is led by the seasons, he’s open to new opportunities, and always following his heart.