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Delia's bolognese
One of the UK's best-known chefs, Delia Smith has a recipe for bolognaise, which she refers to as "ragu bolognese".
It's an interesting mixture, and includes chicken livers, which seems an unusual addition to the classic recipe, and her mixture also seems much darker than most classic bolognaise recipes.
It's an interesting mixture, and includes chicken livers, which seems an unusual addition to the classic recipe, and her mixture also seems much darker than most classic bolognaise recipes.
Labels: bolognaise, classic, delia, recipe
Martha's Spag Bol
The Queen of the (prison) kitchen, Martha Stewart, has a fairly traditional recipe for spaghetti bolognaise.
She seems to have a lot of beef and pork in there, but the ingredients and preparation method are pretty much along the lines of classic bolognaise.
She seems to have a lot of beef and pork in there, but the ingredients and preparation method are pretty much along the lines of classic bolognaise.
Labels: bolognaise, classic, recipe
Classic bolognaise sauce recipe
Ingredients:
1 large onion
1 large carrot
Extra Virgin Olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 lb of lean minced beef
1/2 lb of lean minced pork
140g of pancetta (optional)
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
Tomato puree
1 large tablespoon of sugar
Half a cup of fresh milk
Fresh or dried spaghetti
Method:
If possible, re-mince the meat all together to gain a finer texture. Some people fry off the pancetta first, before adding any of the other meats individually to the pan, but uncut or unminced pancetta usually creates large cunks of bacon and fat in your bolognaise mixture, so it's often best to re-mince it or finely chop it - or just leave it out entirely.
Chop the onion very finely (the finer, the better) and mince the garlic. (Keep the garlic separate).
Chop the carrot into very small pieces (about 10mm each). (The carrot helps reduce the acidity in the bolognaise mixture).
Heat a very large cooking pot and cover the bottom in olive oil, then heat the oil moderately for about 1-2 mins.
Add the onion for a few minutes, then add the carrot. Lightly fry both over a moderate heat for about 3 mins, until very soft. Do not overheat, as the onion will burn.
Add the meat to the pot and stir it in until it completely breaks up and turns a light brown colour. You may have to chop at the meat with your wooden spoon to break it up. (It sometimes helps to add the meat in small portions, especially if there's a lot of it, to prevent the pot from cooling down).
Drain the juice from the tins of chopped tomatoes into a jug or mug. (You can use tins of plum tomatoes, but you will have to remove the stocks and chop them up, then drain them).
Add two tablespoons of tomato puree to the jug, and top it up with hot water from the kettle until you have around 300-400ml. Mix it well until it forms a dark red tomato pasatta. Pour in a splash or two of milk, and stir in well. (Don't squirt the tomato puree straight into the pot, puree is a concentrated tomato flavour enhancer, and should be mixed down before using it to stretch out a sauce).
Add the drained tomatoes to the pot and stir in well. Allow them to simmer with the meat.
(If you like, you can add a small amount of red wine at this stage - no more than around 100-200ml, adding small amounts at a time and allowing it to reduce down and soak into the meat under a moderate heat).
Gradually add the pasatta to the pot, stirring it in well.
Add in the crushed garlic to the pot and stir in well.
Add a large tablespoon of sugar and mix in well. (Sugar helps reduce the acidity in the mixture, and creates a savoury flavour).
Add salt to taste, and a small amount of pepper.
Allow the mixture to reach simmering point, where it begins to bubble, then turn down the heat and allow the bolognaise to simmer gently for 3-4 hours uncovered (ideally for at least 3 hours, to allow the meat to completely soften and break apart). Remember: do not cover the mixture, and keep it on a very low heat. As you mixture cooks, there should only be the odd bubble popping to the surface.
Stir the mixture at very frequent intervals to stop it sticking to the bottom of the pan, and add some salt to taste, but only if required. Do not over-salt or you'll ruin the sauce.
The mixture should start to reduce down. If it looks like it's becoming too dry, mix a small amount of warm water (about 100ml) with a teaspoon of tomato puree in a cup or mug, and add it very gradually to the pot, mixing in well. Try not to have too much liquid in the mixture.
Boil 2oz of spaghetti per person until al dente (still slightly hard), drain, then toss with a small amount of olive oil in the same pan over a very light heat to evaporate any remaining water.
Add 1-2 large spoonfuls of the hot bolognaise to the pasta in the pan per person, and toss over a light heat until the pasta is lightly coated in bolognaise, then serve hot (piling the pasta with tongs is usually easier than spooning the pasta on to plates).
Remember: your pasta should be 'teased' with the sauce, not drowned in it. Dress with freshly grated parmesan cheese (not the dried stuff).
There's plenty of variations to this recipe, such as adding a bay leaf or parsley to the cooking mixture - or adding some Worcestershire Sauce (or Soy) during simmering, but this is essentially the 'classic' Italian bolognaise.
1 large onion
1 large carrot
Extra Virgin Olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 lb of lean minced beef
1/2 lb of lean minced pork
140g of pancetta (optional)
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
Tomato puree
1 large tablespoon of sugar
Half a cup of fresh milk
Fresh or dried spaghetti
Method:
If possible, re-mince the meat all together to gain a finer texture. Some people fry off the pancetta first, before adding any of the other meats individually to the pan, but uncut or unminced pancetta usually creates large cunks of bacon and fat in your bolognaise mixture, so it's often best to re-mince it or finely chop it - or just leave it out entirely.
Chop the onion very finely (the finer, the better) and mince the garlic. (Keep the garlic separate).
Chop the carrot into very small pieces (about 10mm each). (The carrot helps reduce the acidity in the bolognaise mixture).
Heat a very large cooking pot and cover the bottom in olive oil, then heat the oil moderately for about 1-2 mins.
Add the onion for a few minutes, then add the carrot. Lightly fry both over a moderate heat for about 3 mins, until very soft. Do not overheat, as the onion will burn.
Add the meat to the pot and stir it in until it completely breaks up and turns a light brown colour. You may have to chop at the meat with your wooden spoon to break it up. (It sometimes helps to add the meat in small portions, especially if there's a lot of it, to prevent the pot from cooling down).
Drain the juice from the tins of chopped tomatoes into a jug or mug. (You can use tins of plum tomatoes, but you will have to remove the stocks and chop them up, then drain them).
Add two tablespoons of tomato puree to the jug, and top it up with hot water from the kettle until you have around 300-400ml. Mix it well until it forms a dark red tomato pasatta. Pour in a splash or two of milk, and stir in well. (Don't squirt the tomato puree straight into the pot, puree is a concentrated tomato flavour enhancer, and should be mixed down before using it to stretch out a sauce).
Add the drained tomatoes to the pot and stir in well. Allow them to simmer with the meat.
(If you like, you can add a small amount of red wine at this stage - no more than around 100-200ml, adding small amounts at a time and allowing it to reduce down and soak into the meat under a moderate heat).
Gradually add the pasatta to the pot, stirring it in well.
Add in the crushed garlic to the pot and stir in well.
Add a large tablespoon of sugar and mix in well. (Sugar helps reduce the acidity in the mixture, and creates a savoury flavour).
Add salt to taste, and a small amount of pepper.
Allow the mixture to reach simmering point, where it begins to bubble, then turn down the heat and allow the bolognaise to simmer gently for 3-4 hours uncovered (ideally for at least 3 hours, to allow the meat to completely soften and break apart). Remember: do not cover the mixture, and keep it on a very low heat. As you mixture cooks, there should only be the odd bubble popping to the surface.
Stir the mixture at very frequent intervals to stop it sticking to the bottom of the pan, and add some salt to taste, but only if required. Do not over-salt or you'll ruin the sauce.
The mixture should start to reduce down. If it looks like it's becoming too dry, mix a small amount of warm water (about 100ml) with a teaspoon of tomato puree in a cup or mug, and add it very gradually to the pot, mixing in well. Try not to have too much liquid in the mixture.
Boil 2oz of spaghetti per person until al dente (still slightly hard), drain, then toss with a small amount of olive oil in the same pan over a very light heat to evaporate any remaining water.
Add 1-2 large spoonfuls of the hot bolognaise to the pasta in the pan per person, and toss over a light heat until the pasta is lightly coated in bolognaise, then serve hot (piling the pasta with tongs is usually easier than spooning the pasta on to plates).
Remember: your pasta should be 'teased' with the sauce, not drowned in it. Dress with freshly grated parmesan cheese (not the dried stuff).
There's plenty of variations to this recipe, such as adding a bay leaf or parsley to the cooking mixture - or adding some Worcestershire Sauce (or Soy) during simmering, but this is essentially the 'classic' Italian bolognaise.
Labels: bolognaise, classic, pasta, recipe