Summary of "Flavourful step-by-step bolognaise with Marco Pierre White | Meet Your Maestro | BBC Maestro"
Ingredients
- Beef mince (preferably dry-aged for intense flavor)
- Onion (grated)
- Carrots (grated)
- Celery (grated)
- Garlic (grated)
- Olive oil
- Fresh thyme
- Bay leaf
- Red wine (optional, use a decent bottle)
- Pâté (plain, without herbs or garlic; substitute with chopped tomatoes if unavailable)
- Salt and seasoning (implied, not explicitly stated)
Equipment
- Non-stick pan (do not wash between uses to retain flavor)
- Oven preheated to 140°C (for braising)
- Silicone paper or parchment paper (to cover during oven cooking and prevent evaporation)
Method
1. Prepare vegetables
- Grate onion, carrots, celery, and garlic finely so they dissolve during cooking, contributing flavor without texture.
- Fry carrots first to evaporate water and bring out natural sugars, enhancing sweetness.
2. Cook the beef
- Heat olive oil until smoking hot.
- Add beef mince to the pan without moving it initially to allow water to evaporate.
- Once water has evaporated, begin to break up the meat slowly without stirring or moving the pan excessively; shaking the pan is acceptable if needed.
- Render and caramelize the meat to develop deep flavor.
- Use dry-aged beef if possible for more intense aroma and taste.
3. Cook the vegetables
- Add a little olive oil to the pan.
- Add grated onions, garlic, carrots, celery, fresh thyme, and bay leaf.
- Cook gently and slowly to remove water content and concentrate flavors.
- Stir carefully, taking time to develop flavor.
4. Combine and drain fat
- Drain the cooked mince and vegetables separately to remove excess fat.
- Combine the drained mince back with the vegetables.
- This method prevents losing fat that adds flavor by not pouring hot mince over cooled vegetables.
5. Add red wine (optional)
- Pour in red wine and reduce by about 90% to remove acidity and alcohol.
- Continue reducing to intensify the flavor.
6. Add pâté or chopped tomatoes
- Stir in plain pâté (no herbs or garlic) to enrich the sauce.
- If pâté is unavailable, use chopped tomatoes as a substitute.
- Scrape down the sides of the pan to incorporate all ingredients.
7. Simmer in oven
- Cover the pan with silicone/parchment paper and lid to prevent evaporation.
- Place in a preheated oven at 140°C.
- Cook for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.
- The sauce will improve further if left to mature for 3-4 days before serving.
Chef Tips & Insights
- Grating vegetables ensures they dissolve into the sauce, avoiding chunky texture.
- Frying carrots brings out natural sugars, enhancing sweetness.
- Never move the pan too much when browning meat; let the heat do the work.
- Use dry-aged beef for more flavor.
- Do not wash a non-stick pan between steps to preserve flavor residue.
- Reducing wine properly removes harsh acidity and alcohol, leaving natural wine flavor.
- Covering the sauce during oven cooking prevents evaporation and keeps moisture.
- Bolognese tastes better after resting for several days; do not serve immediately.
- Keep classic flavor combinations simple and respect traditional pairings.
- Avoid diluting flavors by adding unnecessary liquids.
Plating & Serving
Serve over pasta (e.g., spaghetti) with a generous spoonful of the rich, well-developed bolognese sauce.
Presenter / Source
Marco Pierre White From the BBC Maestro series Meet Your Maestro
Category
Cooking
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