Bolognaise sauce
I've been doing this sauce since half-way through uni (circa 1996) when I shared a flat with another student studying to be a chef. The recipe is quite different now, because I've experimented along the way as I gained confidence with throwing stuff together. This sauce takes the best part of 4 hours to make, so I usually make enough to feed an army and freeze what I don't need that day for quick and easy meals on nights when I don't feel like cooking.
- Ingredients
- olive oil
- 2 large onions
- 6 garlic cloves
- 2 stalks of celery
- 4 regular sized carrots
- 3-5 cups of fresh mushrooms
- At least 500g lean minced beef
- 800g tinned chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
- 12 fresh medium vine-ripened tomatoes (quartered)
- 100g tomato puree
- 2 teaspoons of sugar (to cut the acidity of the tomatoes)
- 1 organic beef stock cube
- 500ml boiled water
- 400ml dry white wine
- Fresh basil and oregano
- Salt and pepper to season
- Method
- Gently pan-fry onion and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent
- Meanwhile, dice carrots, celery and mushrooms
- Add the beef to the pan with the onions and garlic, and gently brown it, stiring to break it up well
- When the beef is browned, add carrots, celery and mushrooms and stir
- Stir in the tomato puree
- Add tinned tomatoes and chopped fresh tomatoes
- Stir in the sugar
- Dissolve the beef stock cube with the boiled water and add it to the pot
- Add the wine
- Cover and bring everything to the boil
- Once it boils, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and start working on the rest of your menu -- leave the sauce to simmer for at least 3 hours.
It can go all day if you keep an eye on it and keep it on a gentle simmer.
- Before you use the sauce, rip up some fresh basil and oregano and add this to the pot. Continue simmering gently.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serving suggestion
- I make garlic butter while the sauce is simmering because you have to watch over that quite carefully and as I'm in the kitchen finishing off the sauce, I may as well do the butter. You can use this sauce for lasagne or spaghetti bolognese.
