Slow Roasted Lamb Ragu on Potato Noodles

Do I have Hungarian roots? I must do, buried somewhere deep down, because what I thought was my own clever creation (potato noodles), is in fact an established part of Hungarian cuisine. Who knew?
Yes, the proportions are slightly different and it is normally served with melted butter (a fact which, as you know, I have no problem with), but the basic premise is the same:

Take one measly potato, mix with flour and eggs and behold! Noodly goodness fit for a king!

Or... two hungry couch potatoes on a lazy Sunday afternoon. With enough leftovers for Monday's lunchboxes. Yeah, that sounds pretty good too. The perfect partner for these soft and chewy (think gnocchi) noodles? A rich, tomatoey, subtly spiced lamb ragu. Made with lamb loin chops nonetheless. Unorthodox for sure, but succulent as all hell. Dig in friends!

This forms the main course for my entry into the Ready Steady Cook blog challenge as created by LadyRaven from Add To Taste.

My partner, Tandy, gave me the following list of ingredients to use (in conjunction with the allowed pantry ingredients):

4 x lamb loin chops

1 onion

2 x red apples

1 x bag of baby spinach leaves

1 x orange

1 x packet of sour cherries

1 x potato

Stay tuned to see what starter and dessert I'll conjure up from the remainder of the ingredients.

Slow Roasted Lamb Ragu on Potato Noodles
A Creative Pot original
Serves 4


For the lamb ragu:
6** lamb loin chops
1 onion, finely sliced
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp smoky paprika
1/4 tsp chili flakes (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 bay leaves

For the potato noodles:
1 large potato, cooked and peeled
1 large egg
pinch of salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp olive oil

1. For lamb ragu: Place lamb chops in a small oven casserole, then cover with onions. 
2. Mix garlic, cinnamon paprika, chili flakes (if using) and salt with the tin of tomatoes, then pour over the lamb chops. 
3. Push bay leaves into the sauce before placing in the oven to cook at 180C for approximately an hour and a half. When it's done the sauce will have thickened and caramelised and the lamb will be fall-off-the-bones tender.
4. For potato noodles:  Mash the potato and mix with egg, salt and half of the flour. Transfer to a floured surface and gradually knead in the rest of the flour. Cover and allow to rest for 20 - 30 minutes.
5. On a floured surface, roll the dough out thinly into a somewhat rectangular shape. Fold the bottom quarter of the dough up (longest side), then continue folding until you reach the other end. Slice the folded dough into fairly wide noodles, unfolding the noodles after they are cut. Toss with flour to prevent sticking.
6. When the lamb is almost done, bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Add a little bit of olive oil to the water, then drop about half of the noodles in, semi-cover with lid and allow to cook for about 8 - 10 minutes or until the noodles have risen to the top. Test to make sure they are cooked through before removing with a slotted spoon. Repeat with the rest of the noodles.
7. Rinse cooked noodles with luke-warm water, then toss with a teaspoon of olive oil. Divide amongst serving plates and top with lamb ragu. Serve warm.

** I used 4 chops for the challenge meal as stipulated in my ingredient list, but 6 (or even 8) would be more appropriate for the quantity of sauce and noodles.