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Hogget Rump with Braised Courgettes & Green Olive Dressing

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

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

This is a dish that really belongs to the summer months, whilst courgettes are at their best and the weather is right for cooking and eating outdoors. Serve everything warm as the main course of a long, relaxed lunch, with plenty of wine and good company. I can see bread on the table and a fruit tart in the distance, perhaps frangipane. I am suddenly lost in a dream, a beautiful, pleasing dream. Take me to this lunch table.

Serves: 2

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

Olive Dressing

Method

  1. Remove the hogget rumps from the fridge and let them come to room temperature. Set a heavy-bottomed pan over 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 until the garlic releases its aroma.
  2. Add the courgettes and a pinch more salt. Stir, cover with a lid, and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 25-minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Peel strips of zest off the lemon and add to the pan. Cook for 2-more minutes, then remove from heat. Add the mint sprigs, stir, and let sit for about 10-minutes.
  4. 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 to allow the flavours to intermingle. Taste again and adjust the seasoning as necessary.

To Cook the Hogget

  1. Season the rumps well with sea salt. Burn down the barbecue until the flames have subsided and the charcoal is burning white.
  2. Find the cooler part of the grill and place the rumps fat-side down. Cook for 5-6 minutes, moving them around regularly so the fat renders and takes on a little colour.
  3. Then flip the rumps and brown the other sides. The trick with cooking a cut like this on a BBQ is to keep it moving. Alternate between higher heat and cooler parts. Cook for 8-10 minutes, then remove and rest for 10-minutes, ideally downwind of the smoke or on a raised shelf above the grill if possible.

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For 15 years, George worked in some of London’s most loved restaurants, including Padella and Primeur, and spent five years as Head Chef at the Garden Museum Café. He earned praise for his simple, thoughtful cooking, with dishes rooted in the classics and always respectful of the ingredients.

In 2021, George realised a long-held ambition with the release of his first cookbook, A Year in the Kitchen. It celebrates the annual cookery cycle, guiding readers through the British seasons, showcasing native produce and encouraging creativity year-round.

In 2022, George left London and returned to his native Yorkshire. His passion for seasonal cooking and respect for quality British ingredients have remained central to his work. Like his food, George is led by the seasons, open to new opportunities and always following his heart.