Yahoo News Mary Berry's 'unusual' bolognese recipe has a secret ingredient and top taste
Bolognese is a much-loved classic in British kitchens, renowned for its rich, meaty sauce that promises to satisfy the whole family and leave plenty for leftovers. While many stick to their tried-and-tested recipes, there's always room to take your bolognese game up a notch.
National icon and culinary whizz Mary Berry once sparked debate by revealing she adds white wine and double cream to her bolognese, a move some initially questioned but have come to recognise as lending the dish a touch of authenticity, reports the Mirror.
These ingredients can help temper acidity and add a luxurious depth to the flavour. Moreover, Berry advocates for slow cooking the sauce in the oven for the best results.
READ MORE:Scotland's best Airbnbs for autumn getaway named including 'alien spaceship'
READ MORE:Greggs slammed over sausage roll price as people say they 'used to be £1'
For the sauce
500g of pork mince
500g of beef mine
500g of passata
400g of chopped tomatoes
200ml of beef stock
150ml of wine
Two chopped onions
Two sticks of chopped celery
One large chopped carrot
Three crushed garlic cloves
Three tablespoons of sundried tomato paste
Four tablespoons of double cream
Two tablespoons of chopped thyme leaves
Four bay leaves
Salt and pepper to serve
For the pasta
450g of pappadelle pasta
Salt for the pasta water
To serve:
Parmesan cheese
Basil leaves to garnish
Kitchen equipment
Oven-proof large pot with lid
Pot for the pasta
Two spatulas
Method
To start off her recipe, Mary preheats the oven to 160C gas or 140C fan. She then heats oil in a large pan on the stove and tosses in chopped carrots, celery, and onions - the classic sofrito mix.
She recommends a high heat for about five minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. After the sofrito has become tender, it's time to add both pork and beef mince to the pan.
"Having the two meats means you get a wonderful deep flavour, and it's what the Italians do", Mary, who is well-known from her time on The Great British Bake Off, has said. She advises keeping the heat high while browning the meat.
In a tip that might surprise some, Mary Berry divulges her trick for the ideal bolognese sauce involves an unexpected kitchen tool. The esteemed former Bake Off star suggests using two spatulas to blend the ingredients thoroughly, ensuring nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.
She then adds crushed garlic, tomato paste, beef stock, chopped tomatoes and passata, stirring well before letting it simmer. The next step is to add wine, herbs, salt and pepper.
Mary suggests using whatever wine you have on hand - red or white, although she admits: "I really prefer to add white."
Her ultimate cooking tip is to slow cook the bolognese in the oven at a low-to-medium temperature. "Most people cook bolognese on the hob, but I have a good tip that will make the most tender, deeply flavoured bolognese that you have ever tasted... it really does bring out the flavour of all the ingredients."
After baking for an hour, Mary's "secret" ingredient is added - double cream. She explains: "After an hour in the oven, my secret is to make it even richer by adding in double cream. Don't worry, it doesn't curdle or anything like that, it just enriches it. What I want to end up with is a fairly thick mixture."
Once you've stirred in the double cream, pop the sauce back into the oven for another hour it needs a good two hours to reach perfection. Remember to leave the lid off the Bolognese pot; this is when the magic happens, and the meat turns tantalisingly tender.
As the bolognese nears completion, get a pot of salted boiling water ready for your pasta, aiming for that 'al dente' bite. "The Italian way isn't to serve robust meat sauce with a skinny pasta like spaghetti. For the perfect pairing, choose a thicker shape like pappardelle [pasta]," Mary advises.
Once everything's prepared, serve the pasta adorned with the hearty bolognese, a liberal sprinkle of Parmesan, and a hint of basil for that fresh kick to the dish.
