bolognaise sause

[stevie-p]

I foolishly accepted a challenge with a friend to make spag boll,for 4 people,once at my home and once at his,before finding out he is actually a damned good cook..so..any tips or secret ingredients,to give me the edge please.

[Ethel]

Lots of fresh basil and red wine.

[Cymbeline]

Chopped smokey bacon in with the onions and garlic at the beginning. Then put in the red wine and wait for it to reduce. Good luck!

[sweetdor]

make sure the onions are browned and add at the end of cooking,about 15g of good quailty dark chocolate

[bobjim1705]

Liberal sprinklings of Paprika or Cayenne pepper will give it a spicy edge, in my experience.

[chongalolo]

Cook the bolognaise long and slow if you can.

[nickmo]

A proper SB should be a dry sauce, not all sloppy and runny, so for an 'authentic' one, try this;

300g Best quality minced beef
30g 150g very finely chopped bacon (ideally smoked or dry cured) or pancetta
50g finely chopped carrot
50g finely chopped celery
50g finely chopped onion
30g double concentrate tomato paste
1/2 glass dry red wine
1 glass whole fresh milk

Beef stock and salt /pepper for seasoning

Cook the bacon in olive oil in a large pan. Add the vegetables and sweat gently. Add the meat and brown thoroughly. Add the milk and stir a bit at a time until absorbed. Add the wine and tomato paste diluted with beef stock. Cook very gently for 1 -2 hours stiriing to make sure the sauce doesn't burn, until the sauce is a rich dark colour.

It doesn't need herbs or extra stuff chucked in for the sake of it, and the best steak mince will give a better reult than the cheapsest imitation minced beef that is really fat with some meat round it. Themilk creates acreamy texture to the sauce - you can add a little swirl of cream at the end and maybe a touch of nutmeg or spice (cayenne, or paprika as above) but the best sauces are the simplest and not adulterated.

Serve it with warmed crusty bread, a really nice room temp red wine - shows you know about combining textures and flavours and that the wine is integral to the meal - and call it a ragu Bolognese alla spaghetti - 'cos SB isn't a real Italian dish. Some variations include porcini mushrooms, or use veal mince or add chopped chicken livers that bring another background flavour but again I think its better with the least ingredients.

You could show off and tell your pal that strictly speaking, meat sauces are not served over spaghetti....you should use a flat ribbon pasta like tagliatelle or tagialtellini or pappardelle

Enjoy....

[heathfield]

In a previous post on mince I suggested for spag bol adding a tablespoon of Daddies or HP sauce with the stock. The vinegar cooks off in less than 10 mins, and it gives a really extra-rich taste.

Also, after browning the mince, add the tomato puree and mix it in, frying and stirring for a couple of minutes - gives a super sun-dried/roasted tomato flavour.

Your friend will be asking for your recipe!

[Poglet]

i always add a dessert spoon of sugar x

[WoWo]

Classic Spag Bol has 50% beef mince and 50% pork mince, that might be something to consider.

[brawburd]

Put a red chilli in while cooking, pierce the skin. Will give a warmth through the sauce but not a chilli hotness.

Absolutely essential - after browning the mince, splosh in some worcestershire sauce. It's a natural meat tenderiser and adds a little more depth to the sauce.

Dried oregano while cooking, lots of fresh torn basil at end. And a splash of balsamic vinegar at the end cuts through the sweetness of the tomatoes.

[Gef]

Onions, garlic, mince, tomatoes, tomato puree, red wine, black pepper and fresh basil . Nothing else. Recipe to follow if you want it.

[whiffey]

If cooking for 4, use an entire bottle of red wine, adding gradually from as early as browning the onions. A 1/2 teaspoon each of ground cinnamon and cloves will make it really special. Also attention to detail, be sure the onions are finely chopped, that you use the finest mince, that you stir out all lumps, and if you add mushrooms towards the end, that they are finely chopped too. And it is nearly impossible to add too much garlic !!

[lafrancaise]

The secret is in the tomatoes, they must be really ripe so they're naturally sweet and juicy.

[chongalolo]

Please let us all know the result of the challenge!