Spag bol help!

Bobbykins

Hi Leigh, like a few other posters, I'm a great fan of Worcester sauce in my spag bol. I don't put any wine in though. Again, like a few others, I find that the longer and slower it simmers, the richer the taste.

Regarding the beans in chilli......I don't mind the red kidney beans myself but DH is not a great fan.....have you tried aduki beans? They are smaller and have a much nicer flavour and aren't as overpowering as the kidney beans (they're so small you can get away with it - DH often doesn't notice them!;) )

Kantankrus_Mare

I cut out a recipe from a magazine the other day for the best spag bol ever which includes celery and carrot..........also half a pint of wine and half a pint of beef stock. Will route it out and put it on this thread later if anyone is interested?

Have to come off now though as a teenager is lurking and waiting for me to log off

(Ive not actually tried recipe but am intending to the next time we have spag bol)

tiamai_d

I'm a from scratch girl for spag bol.

Mince - browned off in olive oil with a beef oxo cube.
onion, mushrrom, pepper whatever else I fancy
good splash red wine,
splash worshester sauce
Tin chopped toms
Small carton passata
half tube tomato puree
basil, mixed herbs, pepper, tiny bit chilli powder
Then the garlic so it doesn't burn and go bitter.

If you have been used to the jars for a long time, from scratch takes some getting used to, its just different. But then again nothing tastes exactly like its packet relative.

My spag bol has been fed to babies, as it is, just mashed down a bit, get them used to all that flavour... yum yum... always a a hit!

DrFluffy

This is my fave 'quick' spag bol recipie - it's so, so nice....

You'll need (for 4):
1 small jar of tomato pesto
500g mince
I large onion
2 cloves of garlic
1-2 glasses of red wine (wine tastes nicer than beef stock, half and half works too)...

1) fry off onions and garlic
2) Add mince and brown it off
3) Add pesto
4) Add red wine (or stock, or half and half)
5) cook till mince is brown all the way through
6) season to taste

Usually takes about 15 mins... Everyone loves it, makes me feel llike a proper cook, despite the fact I'm a fraud

tomstickland

I've been making my own bolognaise with no cheating for the last year or so now.
I start by cooking the mushrooms and onions for about 15 minutes in Olive oil. Then I add the meat, cook that for a bit until dark brown. Then I add a tin of tomatoes, cubed carrots, water and a few herbs. That lot simmers for an hour or so. Tastes fine to me. I think cooking the onions at the start probably makes a difference, and then it's down to the length of simmering, to reduce the water out and allow the tomotoe to fully permeate the mix.

The recipe in "the first time cook" includes celery and Red wine. I've never bothered with that yet though.

In my opinon, the real taste comes from the tomatoes and they have to be allowed to reduce down, boiling the water off. If you watch those top chefs they always harp on about keeping things simple and allowing the basic tastes to come out.

MadMonkey

This is my spag bol which hides some veg for the tiddley peeps:beer:

1) Fry some low fat mince in Fry light with an onion.

2) Peel and chop some carrots, courgetts and 2 parsnips.

3) Boil veg till soft and then bung in a blender.

4) mix the mince with the blended veg and add 2 tins of toms.

5) shake some mixed herbs, oregano and basil in.

6) Add a big splodge of tomato puree.

7) Bubble for a while

8) Snap up a load of spaghetti into small pieces and boil

9) add the cooked spaghetti to the sauce mix and stir it all up.

The last step of miixing it all together prevents the small people from picking out the pasta:rotfl:

This freezes really well and also doubles up as baby food if you puree the mince with the toms and veg.

Clutterfree

Hi Guys,
I already have a spag bol recipe which I usually cook on the hob for 2 hours.
I'm busy today so, after frying the onions, mince, etc I was hoping to bung it all in the slow cooker.
Does anyone have any idea of times and heat setting please?
I have a Morhpy Richards 6.5L slow cooker with High/Med/Low settings.
Thanks in advance.
Off to start it now and will hope some lovely person will know the answer!

craig777

heavenleigh wrote: »

but for some reason it still tastes quite bland!

Use beef mince and pork mince (50:50). You'll get a much better and authentic flavour to your Bolognese.

Simmer, simmer, simmer and when you think you've simmered it enough, simmer it a bit more! If I do a big pot of Bolognese sauce, I simmer it for at least 3 hours. The more you simmer, the more flavour will be released from the meat.

Also a few teaspoons of sugar help take away the acidity of the tomatoes and give the sauce a better overall flavour.

Kantankrus_Mare

Ok so this is the recipe I found in Good Housekeeping which is supposed to be be fail safe.

Will let you know when Ive tried it, but it sounds good to me.:D

1tblsp olive oil
1 large onion
1 carrot finely chopped
1 garlic clove crushed
4 oz button mushrooms chopped
1 celery stick finely chopped
1lb minced beef
half pint dry red wine
half pint beef stock
400g chopped tomatoes
1 tblsp tomato paste
2 tsp dried oregano
2tblsp freshly chopped parsley
14 oz dried spaghetti
small handful of basil leaves or grated parmesan to garnish

1. To make the sauce, heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and fry gently for 5 min. or until softened. Add the mushrooms and fry for a further 1 min.

2. Add the minced beef to the pan and cook until browned. Stir in wine, stock, tomatoes, tomato paste and oregano. Season and bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 1 hour or until the meat and vegeatables are tender and sauce is reduced. Check the seasoning and and stir in the parsley.

3. Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water. Drain thoroughly and divide among four four warmed serving plates. Top with sauce and serve with basil or parmesan.

Enjoy!!

I might use this recipe for lasagne which Im making in the next couple of days. Will let you know how I get on.