
Ingredients
- 2 onions
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 sticks of celery
- 2 medium leeks
- 500 gr. Maris Piper potatoes
- 20 gr. unsalted butter
- olive oil
- 4 fresh bay leaves
- 15 gr. fresh thyme
- 500 gr. higher-welfare minced rose veal
- 500 gr. higher-welfare minced pork shoulder
- 300 ml white wine
- 1 whole nutmeg , for grating
- 2 tablespoons plain flour
- 2 litres semi-skimmed milk
- 80 gr. Cheddar cheese
- 80 gr. Lancashire cheese
- 80 gr. Berkswell cheese
- 250 gr. dried cannelloni tubes
- 200 gr. button mushrooms
Greens
- 20 gr. unsalted butter
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 500 gr. stinging nettles
- 500 gr. baby spinach
- ½ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes
Method
- Preheat the oven to 160 ºC.
- Peel and finely chop the onions, garlic and celery.
- Cut off the green part of the leeks, save for making stock or soup, then trim, wash and finely chop the white part.
- Peel and chop the potatoes into ½cm dice.
- Place the butter and 1 tablespoon of oil into a large pan over a low heat, add the onion, garlic, celery, leek, potato, bay and thyme, tying the thyme with string to keep it in a bunch.
- Cover and sweat down for 15′, or until softened.
- Add the minced veal and pork to the pan, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as you go.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high and cook for 10′, or until the mince is browned all over, stirring occasionally.
- Pour in the wine and let it bubble away, then finely grate in half the nutmeg.
- Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, then pour in the milk.
- Season with sea salt and black pepper, cover with a scrunched-up piece of wet greaseproof paper and transfer to the oven for 2 hours, or until thickened and beautifully tender.
- When the time’s up, divide the ragù in half and freeze half for another day.
- Carefully drain the liquid from the remaining ragù into a bowl through a coarse sieve.
- Fish out and discard the thyme stalks and bay, then grate in half the cheeses and stir well.
- Turn the oven up to 180 ºC.
Greens
- Place a large heatproof baking dish on a medium heat and drizzle in 2 tablespoons of oil and add the butter.
- Peel and finely chop the garlic and add to the dish with the nettles, spinach and chilli flakes.
- Cook for 10′, or until softened.
- Allow to cool, then finely chop and return to the dish, spreading evenly over the base.
- Stuff the cannelloni tubes with the mince, using a piping bag or teaspoon, then arrange on top of the nettles and spinach.
- Pour the sieved liquid over the top and grate over the remaining cheese.
- Trim and finely slice the mushrooms, then scatter over the cannelloni.
- Drizzle over 1 tablespoon of oil and bake for 40 – 45′, or until golden and bubbling.
- If you like a bit more colour in the top, pop under the grill for a few minutes, to finish.
- Leave to stand for 30′ before serving – delicious with a seasonal salad.
