Bolognaise is one of the easiest meal bases to make. I've found that you can add ingredients almost randomly, as long as they come from a vaguely Italianate school of flavours. The big secret trick with bolognaise is the cooking method -low heat, slowly cooking for a very long time is the only way to get that rich, thick sauce. I set it on the lowest heat in my big stock pot, and let it simmer for a minimum of one hour, stirring occasionally.
The essential ingredient is the tinned diced tomatoes.
The list of optional ingredients is below. These can be fresh, old, dried, tinned or whatever. I usually taste as I go. If it becomes overpowering, I add another can of tinned tomatoes to thin the flavour intensity a little.
olive oil
butter
onion (lightly cooked to translucency in an oil, not too much)
mushrooms
garlic
oregano
basil
tomato paste
chicken stock powder
salt
pepper
cumin
red wine dregs
chilli
olives
anchovies
...but no capsicum. I hate capsicum. If I want it thinner, I use the immersion blender.
It stores in the fridge for a long time, and can be used as the base for Turkish eggs, pasta, pizza, meat or vegetables. I have also used the blender and added some chicken stock to turn it into a soup.
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