ragout

American  

[ra-goo] / ræˈgu /

noun

1. French Cooking. a highly seasoned stew of meat or fish, with or without vegetables.

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verb (used with object)

ragouted, ragouting

1. to make into a ragout.

ragout British  

/ ræˈɡuː /

noun

1. a richly seasoned stew of meat or poultry and vegetables

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verb

1. (tr) to make into a ragout

Etymology

Origin of ragout

1650–60; < French ragoût, derivative of ragoûter to restore the appetite of, equivalent to r ( e ) - re- + á (< Latin ad to) + goût (< Latin gustus taste)

Explanation

A ragout is a savory dish with chunks of meat and vegetables cooked together into a stew. An authentic ragout is cooked very slowly at a low heat. A ragout is essentially the same as a stew, except that most recipes for ragout are originally French, and often the meat and vegetables are cut into smaller pieces than in a typical stew. Ragouts vary in flavor and ingredients — you can skip the meat and make a vegetarian ragout, for example. In French, it's ragoût, from the Middle French ragoûter, "awaken the appetite," which has the root goût, or "taste."

Example Sentences

Rachael Ray Pasta with beef ragout; flipping furniture; Peruvian-style chicken and pepper-herb sauce.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2022

It includes a dizzying array of dishes like faux brisket; gefilte "no" fish; matzo lasagna with tomato ragout and plant-starch cheese; potato onion kugel; and frosted chocolate deli cake.

From Salon • Apr. 16, 2022

I’ll make carbonara or a meat ragout, something like that.

From New York Times • Apr. 15, 2022

The refined sides: very thin slices of tasty country ham from Tails & Trotters and, recently, a summer vegetable ragout including lots of lobster mushrooms.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 10, 2019

When too old the stock is rather tough for good eating, but the gravy taken from it forms a rich flavoring for a vegetable stew or a meat ragout.

From Student's Hand-book of Mushrooms of America, Edible and Poisonous by Taylor, Thomas