Rooster Ragu aka Pastitsada
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
This is my first rooster and was very excited to make an awesome meal of it, so I went with a traditional Greek dish from Corfu called Pastitsada.
Author:
Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: Greek
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 rooster, cut into 6 pieces
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 1 tbs butter and splash of oil for browning the rooster
  • ¼ c passata
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 2 tbs apple cider vinegar
  • ½ tsp nutmeg, ground
  • ½ tsp pimenta (allspice), ground
  • ½ tsp mace, ground
  • ¼ tsp cloves, ground
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup water
  • thick spaghetti for 2
Method
  1. Cut the rooster into 6 pieces
  2. There will be 2 drumsticks and 2 thighs and 2 breast/wing. A rooster doesn’t have as much meat on the chest so if you find removing the meat difficult, cut the carcass in half so it’s still on the bone.
  3. Heat the butter and oil in a large pan and brown the rooster in batches then set aside.
  4. Add more oil if needed and slowly cook the chopped onion for 10 mins, add the minced garlic and cook for a further 3 minutes.
  5. Add the ground nutmeg, pimenta, mace and cloves, cook till fragrant.
  6. Add the passata and cook for a further 2 minutes then add the wine, cider vinegar and sugar. Cook for 2 minutes.
  7. Add the rooster back to the pan and coat with the sauce,
  8. Pour in the water and stir.
  9. Now, you can either place this, covered, in a 160° for 2 hours (long and slow is the way to go) or cook it in a pressure cooker for 40 minutes.
  10. To eat this traditionally, pull the meat off the bone and serve over thick spaghetti but you could eat it with baby potatoes and vegetables or with rice… all versions would be amazing!
Recipe by Finding Feasts at https://www.findingfeasts.com.au/recipe-index/rooster-ragu-aka-pastitsada/