Spaghetti Bolognese showdown

[Orang Utan]

Celery and carrots are ok if you use them as part of a base/stock that will later be strained and used with tomatoe puree... but leaving them in the actual bolognese isn't really what you should be doing imo.

Nah, they're fine if they're finely chopped as if you'd chop garlic or onions =- big chunks are not what you want though.

 

[dirtysanta]

Well let me start by saying that celary & carrots - esspecially fucking carrots - have absolutley no x 100 million, place in a Spag Bol.
It's just wrong. (Actually so are sodding mushrooms come to think of it.)

How preposterous ! Iv never heard such blather.

 

[Skim]

I'm in the no-carrots camp. I'm not into spag bol authenticity, but carrots just don't belong in that dish.

 

[Orang Utan]

Wars have been fought over less than this.
Is this the beginning of yet another Urban75 Schism?

 

[Skim]

There will be spaghetti on the streets...

 

[snorbury]

Spaghetti.
brown onions
boil lentils
add tin of tomatoes + puree
chop up carrots
chop garlic
chop up herbs
bung in loads of olive oil
salt
and whizz with magic wand

 

[Looby]

Well let me start by saying that celary & carrots - esspecially fucking carrots - have absolutley no x 100 million, place in a Spag Bol.
It's just wrong.

I couldn't agree more but you're wrong about the mushrooms. Mushrooms have a place in virtually every meal I cook, they're my favourite.

My spag bol is really simple and cheap, if I was going to fanny around and cook a special dinner I wouldn't bother with spag bol and I wouldn't spend loads on ingredients for it.

Fry onion and garlic in olive oil, chuck in mince to brown, add mushrooms.
Then mix in puree, loads of worcester sauce, tomatoes, dried italian herbs (feck off with yer fresh basil ), salt, black pepper (glass of red if I have any but I rarely drink it) and simmer. Serve with spaghetti and parmesan.

 

[Pie 1]

Add Poll!!
1: Yay to Carrots & other bonkers veg additions
2: Carrots?!? Pah! You bloody proll.

 

[Orang Utan]

Spaghetti.
brown onions
boil lentils
add tin of tomatoes + puree
chop up carrots
chop garlic
chop up herbs
bung in loads of olive oil
salt
and whizz with magic wand

Lentils are NOT a substitute for mince.
Lentils are good enough for their own dishes, not a meat dish.

 

[snorbury]

Lentils are NOT a substitute for mince.
Lentils are good enough for their own dishes, not a meat dish.

no one knows, I always use fresh herbs and authentic pasta, it's the best

 

[hiccup]

It's nice with a few chicken livers thrown in at the start. Makes it really rich.

That Carluccio bloke was on telly the other day saying that you should use half beer and half veal.

 

[Skim]

no one knows

I bet they do – they are completely different, there's no comparison!

 

[Orang Utan]

no one knows, I always use fresh herbs and authentic pasta, it's the best

No one knows? WTF?

 

[Orang Utan]

That Carluccio bloke was on telly the other day saying that you should use half beer and half veal.

That sounds rank - unless you made a typo there

 

[hiccup]

Just looked it up, Mr Carluccio recommends half beef or veal, and half pork mince.

 

[hiccup]

That sounds rank - unless you made a typo there

That may have been a typo

 

[Cid]

Natural sweetness. Err, I dont think so, you loon. Tomatoes have an acidic quality that helpsl bring out other flavour in food. Do your research before you start flaming me.

Me? Do my research? Bugger off! Tomatoes are a sweet/sour fruit, so while they have a natural tartness they also have a sweetness that offsets that, which is why they taste so nice. Completely unecessary to add sugar, especially when it's a dish that has shallots/onions in it - both of which caramalise nicely.

 

[Xanadu]

Just looked it up, Mr Carluccio recommends half beef or veal, and half pork mince.

you sure he doesn't recommend half beef and half veal or pork (i.e. the choice is between veal and pork)?

 

[Xanadu]

I add it to counter the tartness of the tomatoes. All those tomatoes can be sharp in taste and a little acidic. A bit a sugar sorts it.

he's right here. i hate agreeing with people when they're being overly confident

simmering for hours is the key IMO

 

[Cid]

he's right here. i hate agreeing with people when they're being overly confident

simmering for hours is the key IMO

He bloody well isn't - they have a natural sweetness if they're any good... You can add sugar, maybe half a teaspoon to a teaspoon as it helps bring out the tomato's sweetness, but it depends what other ingredients you use... If you use alcohol for example the natural sugars should be ample.

 

[hiccup]

you sure he doesn't recommend half beef and half veal or pork (i.e. the choice is between veal and pork)?

Yeah, could be. I just looked at this recipe:

http://www.familyrapp.com/Results/receipt_search_results_details.asp?RecipeID=251

adapted from Carluccio's, apparently

 

[marco mark]

Fry onion and garlic in olive oil, chuck in mince to brown, add mushrooms.
Then mix in puree, loads of worcester sauce, tomatoes, dried italian herbs feck off with yer fresh basil:, salt, black pepper (glass of red if I have any but I rarely drink it) and simmer. Serve with spaghetti and parmesan.

What is this you talk off *insert puke smiley* , however i did live with an italian for 5 years, but worcester sauce is very very wrong

 

[marco mark]

Just looked it up, Mr Carluccio recommends half beef or veal, and half pork mince.

yes 50-50 isthe way to go, and when i have time i will post up my ex's recipe

 

[hiccup]

Finely chopped rosemary is nice too, especially if you've used lots of wine.

 

[Skim]

What is this you talk off *insert puke smiley* , however i did live with an italian for 5 years, but worcester sauce is very very wrong

I think Sparklefish has got the right idea. Spag bol is not Italian!

 

[Looby]

I think Sparklefish has got the right idea. Spag bol is not Italian!

Exactly, and the worcester sauce makes a huge difference. I used to put a dash of lea and perrins garlic and chilli sauce too but magic sam told me off.

My godmother puts leftover veg from the fecking roast in hers but she is the worst cook I have ever encountered.

 

[Funky_monks]

Whatever you do, spag bol must:

a) Be left for at least a day after it is initially cooked to allow the flavour to develop.

b) Contain at least a bulb of garlic.

 

[catrina]

Celery and carrots are ok if you use them as part of a base/stock that will later be strained and used with tomatoe puree... but leaving them in the actual bolognese isn't really what you should be doing imo.

You have no clue what you're talking about.

The primary ingredient of a true Bolognese is the soffritto - mixture of chopped carrot, onion and celery.

My recipe is similar to Orang Utan's, although tomato puree is as English as it gets. I use 1 or 1.5 tins of plum (Roma) tomatoes, and only a splash of red wine, not half a bottle! (another Anglicisation methinks).

1/3 veal, 1/3 pork and 1/3 beef mince, as Carluccio says.

The only herb I use is a bay leaf at the simmering stage.

And yes, it does taste best on days 2 and 3.

 

[lyra_k]

I'm sure I remember reading that tomatoes go acidic-tasting if you cook them at too high a temperature, so I always make sure that everything I want fried, like the onions, is well and truly done before the toms go in.

Then once they're in, it's a long, loooow simmer for as long as poss, shouldn't be a bubbling cauldron cos that when the tomatoes start tasting wrong. imHe of course.

 

[Pie 1]

You have no clue what you're talking about.

The primary ingredient of a true Bolognese is the soffritto - mixture of chopped carrot, onion and celery.

And a true Soffritto being as I understand, is chopped onions & garlic lightly fried in olive oil.