Folks, I’m going to let you in on one of the Inner West’s best kept foodie secrets…
My friend Johnny runs DeliVer, a thriving, passionate business supplying high-end deli produce to restaurants and providores all across Australia. Apart from a huge range of cheese, oils and antipasto, he also supplies premium small goods – San Daniele Prosciutto, Spanish Jamon, Bresaolo and the like – all carefully hand sliced and vacuum packed for distribution and resale.
Johnny is very particular about what goes into each packet, and as a result there are often large quantities of leftovers and offcuts. These are sold at a discounted price through his retail cheese shop in Haberfield. They’re seriously cheap – often up to 80% off their retail cost.
Let me give you a couple of examples – off the bone leg ham retails for $49.99/kg and Coppa, a traditional cured pork, for $39.99/kg – the offcuts of both are just $8.99/kg. The bags of Coppa below cost me less than $3 each…
For $19.99/kg, I often pick up end pieces of San Daniele prosciutto (normally $79.99/kg) or Spanish Jamon ($89.99/kg)…
These are only available through the Haberfield shop and definitely worth looking out for if you get a chance to visit.
I normally use the meats in filled breads, pasta soups or as pizza topping, but I was delighted to come across this Jacques Pépin recipe which seemed a perfect foil for them. It’s from his latest cookbook and television series…
The potato ragout is, according to Jacques, a simple dish from his childhood. It’s easy to prepare, and originally made with strips of rinsed salt pork or pancetta. Jacques wrote that it could also be made with leftover ham or sausage, so it was simple to extrapolate to Johnny’s offcuts…
I used 300g of mixed meats, chopped into strips…
Potato Ragout
(based on a recipe from Jacques Pépin’s Essential Pépin)
- 300g pancetta or assorted cured meats
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 2 large onions, cut into 8 wedges
- 2 tablespoons plain (AP) flour
- 1 tablespoon crushed garlic
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 2 – 3 cups water
- 1 kilo waxy pototoes, peeled and cut up if large
1. Cut the meat into strips. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven and fry the meat until well cooked and crisp, stirring occasionally. Add the onions and cook for a few minutes more, until lightly browned.
2. Add the flour and stir well, cook briefly until brown, being careful not to burn it. Add the garlic, bay leaves, thyme and water, stir and then bring to a boil.
3. Add the potatoes and bring back to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer, covered, for about an hour, or until the potatoes are soft and well cooked. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
A comforting, easy to eat dish which, thanks to a healthy supply of Johnny’s offcuts in the fridge, I can now make at a moment’s notice!
This looks like dinner!
I have some ham sliced off the bone and a large bag of waxy yellow potatoes in the pantry!
Thanks, Celia- I’ve been wondering what to do with the rest of that ham. I’ve made quiche, ham steaks, bean soup, and used it in a chef salad and still I have ham!
Heidi, I hope you like this! It was supposed to be made with small Yukon gold or fingerling potatoes, if you have any of those…
Now, if I just lived closer…
:-) Mandy
…you’d come over for potato ragout, and maybe bring a fresh fig tart? :D
Done deal Celia. Oh that would be fun, wouldn’t it. :-)
I do love a bargain, especially when you can cook up such a tasty looking meal.
Sue, I can’t resist a bargain, and these really are. The prosciutto offcuts are my favourite..
I’m thinking by the time I have him fly the meats to the US, it might negate the discount…but love finding out about insider tasty bits.
Thanks Em! It really is a special treat for those of us who live in Inner West Sydney! :)
So, you see that now you get me more and more tempted to emigrate to Australia, right?
sure, why not? I went from Brazil to USA. USA to Brazil. Brazil to France. Franc to US
it’s about time I get a bit more daring… ;-)
Oh yes. We’ll just have to track down an Aussie university that’s worthy of yours and Phil’s talents.. :)
Amazing stuff.
You’re kind, but it’s actually very simple fare. But it was very delicious! :)
Thanks for the heads up on the offcuts…. you’ll probably be sorry you mentioned it…..! The potato ragout looks exactly like the perfect foil and a great idea that even teenagers would like…. PS fields of gold is one of my favourite songs
Enjoy Tania, they always have heaps! Love Sting.. :)
What a bargain. I’ll have to make the trip to Haberfield Celia, it would be well worth it. You plated that dish so beautifully. What a great recipe. I’ll be trying that with my new purchases from Haberfield!
Charlie, thank you for saying that, I’m not the world’s best plater-upperer. :) I hope you make it to the shop, there’s lots of treasure to be found there!
What a generous discount indeed. I must admit I would have been sorely tempted not to share this find!
I can get off cuts at my Deli, but they throw in all the manky bits and gristle and I can’t always be bothered going to the effort of sorting through. Your Johnny is a good man for sure!
I grew up with potato stews like this, so it definitely looks like comfort food, Yumm!
Becca, as I said, Johnny’s a pedant, so there’s often quite a lot of offcuts to go around. And there aren’t any manky bits because my friend Dottie packs the bags, and she’s just as fussy about quality as Johnny is! :)
I love these tales of everyday food and all the people you meet in your travels Celia – that’s a quick supper after my own heart !
Joanna, I’m glad you liked it, it’s a very warming dish. It was nice to let the potatoes be the star of the dish – I’m going to buy some new season baby Royal Blue potatoes and try making it again! xx
i’m a fan of a bargain, and when you want to eat well, from free-range healthy animals, it’s usually a bit of a price hike. I usuallye nd up opting for cheap cuts or offal, and this has opened my eyes to a new way of scoring a good deal- by getting offcuts, brilliant!
Thanks for stopping by! The other bargain to be had is ham bones and the like for soups – Johnny gives those away for free! :)
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2011/02/09/free-ham-bones-from-paesanella/
that’s culinary alchemy celia..
Jane, that’s very kind, but it’s just a simple dinner.. :)
Ooh, lucky you – I’d love to have that kind of resource nearby. It must give many of your everyday meals a genuine gourmet touch!
Amanda, the downside is the kids are completely spoilt! Big Boy will ask for “San Daniele prosciutto, please” – won’t eat anything else! :)
My friend Moo told me that Mercato in Adelaide now has an online store, in case it’s of interest:
http://www.ilmercato.com.au/
What a great find! Definitely worth a visit for sure! :D
Let me know when you head out this way, and I’ll meet you there! :)
What a bargain! I just need to find my own Johnny here in Brisbane. Potato ragout sounds wonderful.
Claire, I’m sure there is one! :)
Celia … you are so big-hearted … but how will I ever get in the door on Saturday after this! The fruit bread you gave us on Sunday is still sustaining me … xxx
I’m glad you’re enjoying it, love. Have I mentioned recently how happy we are to have you guys back home? :)
Celia this sounds delicious and such a bargain!
Thanks Lizzy! It’s hard to resist goods of this quality at those sorts of prices! :)
Looks like I’ll have to find Haberfield! they have so many wonderful treats on their website.
Elaine, it’s a great place to spend some money – lots of shops there to explore!
Another excuse to travel down to Sydney with the esky!
Indeed! :)
Celia, I didn’t see your note about queenie until just now; how very sad.
All of your family and her’s will miss her dearly.
Elaine, thank you, Pete will especially miss her, she was his favourite..
just saw about Queenie – our dear old chook Ebony has just died too – preceeded by very thin eggshells too. a Sad day when the dear old girls pass on. . .
Anne, she wasn’t all that old, just over two years, but I think something just stopped working. Thanks for your kind comment.. x
So sorry to hear about Queenie. She was a lucky girl to have such a nice home.
This dish sounds wonderful. I think I’d try it w/ pancetta. I don’t have potatoes too often anymore because I’m tired of the same old way of preparing them. Thank you for the idea!!
Mel, thank you. We’re still quite sad about it, but we hope she enjoyed her time with us. The original dish was supposed to be made with pancetta! :)
Dear Celia
Thanks for the info. Sometimes, offcuts in soups and stews are some of the tastiest! Great that they are all vacuum packed as well!
Chopinand, the vac packing is a lifesaver – often when we’re out of things to eat, they’ll be a little bag of offcuts hiding in the back of the fridge.. :)
Comfort food is the best. How did you manage to make vacuum packed meat look appetising? I don’t know how – but you did!
Sally, thank you for saying that. I was concerned the photos wouldn’t do the offcuts justice, they really are premium quality, no nasty bits in there… :)
http://photographyofnia.com/2012/02/22/i-am-honored-by-your-awards-thank-you/
Dear Celia, you are one of my nominated bloggers for the Liebster Blog Award, Thank you, with my love, nia
Thank you Nia, that’s very kind of you! :)
Sorry to hear about Queenie.
Big hugs, Maz. :-(
Thanks Maz. xx
Sorry to hear about Queenie, Celia. That’s how four of our chooks have died too. All preceded by thin shelled, or no-shelled eggs. Our remaining two chooks are both plump, healthy and bossy; they tend to get around as if joined at the hip, but are not laying eggs – maybe they think it’s too risky:-( Lucky you having off-cuts of San Daniele, I love that prosciutto.
Thanks Jan. The other girls are all looking well, we’ve been watching them like a hawk today..
You should have heard the scream inside my head when I read about quality of the product and the discount and that it’s only across the city in haberfield! hahaha my sister and I will have to pop over for some lunch and check it out…oooo that pasticeria on the corner might get a visit too :)
Perfect! That’s exactly what I wanted to do – let fellow Sydneysiders know so they could pop in and stock up. There’s heaps there! :)
Wow it looks like you have amazing supplies to your kitchen :) The dish looks fantastic :)
Tes, thank you! We are blessed to have access to so much good food!
*looks up how to get to Haberfield*
Lots to see when you do get there, Lucas! :)
Can I report – preferably without any further comment from others – that following a colonoscopy, this is the perfect comfort food. And let me tell you, I needed comforting on Friday night. Thank you Celia. In case I was not clear: NO BUM JOKES FOLKS. THANK YOU ALL.
I’m glad it helped, love. :)
I am so sorry about Queenie.
Thanks Norma.. x
Turns out cooking potato ragout is as soothing as eating it. Thought I’d share.
Seriously girl, we are turning into old hippies, you and I.. ;-)