Curry Recipes Online
Curry Chat => Talk About Anything Other Than Curry => Topic started by: JerryM on June 05, 2009, 07:22 PM
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i make Delia's lasagne a lot. it consists of multiple layers of ragu, white sauce (bechemel) and pasta sheet.
if i eat lasagne out it's quite different. no bechemel sauce, there's a centre block of ragu and pasta sheet. then around that seems like 1 layer of ragu, cheese, fresh tomato sauce.
i'm pretty sorted on the centre block as it's essentially the same as Delia's ragu.
it's the cheesy/tomato filling that surrounds and covers it that i'm interested in recreating. the cheese i think is mozzarella (maybe a touch of cheddar). the tomato sauce must be from fresh tomatoes ie not tinned with oregano and marjoram as the herbs. i believe it's the tomato sauce that's crucial to get right.
would appreciate any input or thoughts.
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Jerry, when I make Lasagne I do not use a Bechamel sauce either. My "white" layer is a mix of ricotta, mozzarella, and provolone cheeses. Definitely no cheddar.
Top layer sprinkled with parmigiano reggiano.
Hope this helps.
--- Josh
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Hi Jerry,
When I make Lasagne, I don't use a bechamel sauce, I use the following for around 600g mince.
2 1/2 pints of milk
1 large desertspoon of cornflour or just enough to thicken the milk to a thickish but still runny sauce. Make sure you keep whisking it when heating the milk to prevent it getting lumpy.
I then whisk the cornflour into the milk and boil until the milk sauce has become thickish but still runny.
I then remove from the heat, add 1 teaspoon of french mustard, then I add a mixture of grated cheddar and Parmesan. Ratio of about 2:1
As the sauce is still very hot, it melts both the mustard and the cheese into a lovely thick but runny cheese sauce.
The mustard gives it depth.
I then put my lasagne mix in a dish, put pasta sheets over the top, then a layer of the cheesy sauce. Then I repeat this process around 2 times until the lasagne layers have built up.
I then once again sprinkle the Cheddar/Parmesan over the top. Same ratio, then I sprinkle ground nutmeg on top of the cheese, some ground black pepper, then pop it into the oven for around 35-40 minutes depending on what the pasta needs to cook.
The end dish is a crusty cheese layer on the top and the inside has the meat, pasta and creamy cheese sauce.
I have to admit I have to get in first before my kids do, otherwise I don't normally get a look in!! :)
Happy Cooking :)
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appreciate your help Josh & 976bar
when i was a student my fav dish (except curry of course) was chip shop chips covered with cheese sauce made as a milk sauce and cheddar.
if i can't get the No white sauce version to work then the mustard/cheddar/parmesan milk sauce may just get me a halfway house.
the ricotta, mozzarella, and provolone mixture sounds what i'm after for the "white" layer. not come across provolone and will google. i guess the ricotta helps lighten the mozzarella.
any advice on the tomato sauce. i am pretty sure u can't get the Italian taste using tinned toms. i've also had suggested to use a little carrot (sounds familiar) along with the fresh skinned toms.
976bar - i know what u mean on the look in. if u've not tried it a dressed salad goes amazingly well with it just to add a bit of variety now and again. not a fav with the kids though.
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Olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 tin italian plum tomatoes (get a good variety not the supermarket ones)
Tomato Puree
1 lamb or beef knorr stock cube in a mug of boiling water (so 1/2 pint)
dried basil
dried Oregano
1 desertspoon sugar
600 or 700 gramms of either lean steak mince or lamb mince
Worcestershire sauce
Salt and Pepper
Gently fry the onion until soft and golden brown
add the garlic and fry for around 2 minutes (don't burn it as it will taste bitter)
add the chopped tomatoes and cook for around 2-3 minutes
Meanwhile brown the mince in another pan then add this to the mixture
add the stock
add tomato puree. I usually use around 50 - 70 gramms
few dashes worcestershire sauce
add the basil and oregano
add the sugar
Salt
Ground black pepper
Now let it simmer for around 30 minutes, so that the mince is cooked thoroughly and the sauce has reduced into a lovely thick tomato consistency. Make sure you turn it every once in a while. :)
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976bar,
thanks for the recipe which is very close to the delia ragu (i think it will be on her online site or can send it if you're interested). it adds bacon and red wine and leaves out the stock, oregano and worcester sauce (interesting addition).
i'll give yours ago for comparison as it looks easier to make and has some interesting twists. i tell u though the delia ragu takes some beating. in fact her lasagne dish is very very good. i do find it needs to be pulled together just right to get 10 ie the consistency of the ragu & proportion of white sauce and cooking time.
what i'm ideally after though to make the no white sauce version is a pure fresh cooked tomato sauce. delia again has a recipe which i will use (ripe tom, onion, garlic, puree, herb) if no one has a recipe they cherish.
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Hi Jerry,
Try this. Its not a recipe I have actually made, but it is from an Italian recipe book I have.
You can of course replace the pork chop with the mince meat for the lasagne.
Italian Tomato Sauce
2 − 28 ounce cans diced or ground tomatoes or whole
tomatoes NOT packed in puree or sauce
3 tablespoons high−quality olive oil
1 large, thick pork chop or 1−1/2 pounds beef chuck,
steak preferred
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1/2 cup red wine
1−1/2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons fresh basil or Italian parsley, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
If using whole tomatoes, drain them, reserving the liquid and chop. Reserve
tomatoes and juice in a bowl.
In a nonreactive Dutch oven, heat the olive oil. Season the chop with salt
and pepper and brown over medium−high heat on both sides, about 8 minutes
total. Remove meat and set aside. Reduce heat to medium−low, add the onion
and carrot and saute until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and saute
for 1 minute. Return the meat and any accumulated juices to the pot and add
the wine. Bring to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 3 minutes.
Add the reserved tomatoes (if using crushed or minced tomatoes, just add
them directly from the can) and the salt and bring back to a simmer. Reduce
heat to low to maintain a slow simmer, partially cover, and cook until the
meat is tender, about 45 to 55 minutes, depending on the thickness of the
meat. Remove meat and keep warm. Raise heat to medium and continue cooking
sauce for about 5 minutes, or until sauce has thickened.
Stir in the basil and/or parsley and add freshly ground black pepper to
taste (the sauce will be salty at this point; it will taste fine once added
to pasta). Slice the meat and serve with pasta and sauce.
If you try it, let me know how it turns out :)
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976bar,
many thanks. much appreciate your help.
i'll try both your ragu and the tom sauce. the tom sauce sounds exactly what i'm after and contains the carrot that i had a hunch about.
will keep u posted - i'm cooking it for tonight
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Jerry - you're right on the carrot.
My meat sauce starts with a soffrito of onion, carrot, and celery, in roughly a 2:1:1 ratio. Meat, wine, herbs and tomatoes follow that. I do use tinned tomatoes, but always buy the best, not the bargain brand variety. I finish my sauce with a little cream, parmigiano cheese and parsley.
976bar's sauce recipe looks good, although I'd definitely add some oregano and thyme.
-- Josh
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Josh & 976bar,
many thanks for your help - i'm now well sorted.
i got the tomato sauce too thick but everything else what just what i was after - perfecto!
the carrot as Josh say's is essential. i've also changed my mind and think tinned toms in the fresh tom sauce will be just fine.
interesting thought by Josh on the use of thyme - one for another day.
i made 976bar's ragu to spec using 70g tom puree, 10 sec pour worcester sauce, 1 1/2 tsp ea basil & oregano (will try 2 tsp ea next time), 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper. i don't even feel it would be worth adding wine - it's spot on as it is. i did end up cooking for 20 mins lid on and 50 mins lid off to get the thickish consistency but that's down to the gas setting.
i then made 976bar's italian tomato sauce almost to spec (without the meat): no wine, 800g fresh skinned toms, 150g onion, 150g carrot, 2tsp marjoram, 1 tsp basil, 2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp black pepper. i added the rest of the ingredients in one go after the saute stage and cooked with lid on for 20 mins. i then cooked further 40 mins with lid part on. this was too much as the sauce thickened too much (needed runny).
i kept it simple on the cheese and used 500g mozzarella equivalent. i reheated in the oven at 180c but probably next time will try 200c.
have attached few pics (assembly, tom sauce & ready for oven). nb it made 4 large portions (i used 2 off dishes).
best wishes to u both - help much appreciated.
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Hi Jerry,
That looks delicious. I've had that tomato sauce recipe kicking around for ages and had never tried it before, but looking at your pics, I'm gonna have to head for the Kitchen!! :)
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Jerry, looks great.
Do try the cheese mix (ricotta, provolone, mozzarella). Just mozzarella would be a little rich for me. The ricotta especially adds volume but is a light cheese.
-- Josh
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many thanks to both of u - i tell u a real winner this combination. even the smell in the kitchen this morning reminded me of "casa italia".
the tomato sauce recipe for me is the key ingredient. don't get it too thick though (must be runny) hence my next go will be with tinned toms. although i know what taste the fresh toms bring i'm no longer convinced they are necessary given the carrot and herbs.
i have used ricotta and mozzarella before (but the recipe was no good for the tom sauce that time and ruined the dish). i do intend being more adventurous next time to try the trio of cheese. the provolone i will need to look out for as it's not stocked in my local supermarket's.
the mixing of the mozzarella and the tom sauce during the cooking is where the magic lies in stopping the combined sauce becoming too rich.
best wishes
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976bar, Josh,
i made 976bar's recipe again last night following requests from kids. sorry stroganoff has been delayed.
the revisit confirmed it to be every bit as good as the 1st go - so no fluke.
i cooked at 200C (180 last time) and felt this better, reducing cooking time down 15-20 mins (from 35mins). for a restaurant appearance u might want to flash the dish under the grill before serving - i did not bother.
i used 2 large tins of toms instead of the fresh 800g of toms. u'd be hard pressed to tell the difference in the final dish so tins toms are in going fwd.
i kept the lid on the fresh tom sauce throughout cooking to get a runnier finished sauce. this worked well but i still had to add 1/2 pint of veg stock. gut feeling was that stock's not the right thing and perhaps i should of just added water. the sauce being spot on before going into the oven and just needing extra liquid to compensate for the evap during cooking. family thought it was spot on as it was - so must be very close to being right.
i may work on getting the sauce a bit more runnier. i'd also like to add in the extra cheeses at some point (mainly for interest). other than that i'm well chuffed - many thanks
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Hi guys!
I used to work in an italian restaurant and what we used to do was cook the lasagna first and let cool.
When we were preparing the dish like in your pictures with the sauce around the outside we would put the square cut piece of lasagna in the middle then pour a base of bolognese sauce around the lasagna, then put a layer of bechamel over this sauce then sprinkle over quite a lot of parmesan....then bang it in the oven/grill for 10min
Try this out!!
Also we never used tins of tomatos, just tomato puree....and we would always cook the meat and soffritto in a combination of half milk and half water for about 2-3 hours...adding the tomato puree at the end and cooking for a further hour.
Have a go!
Simon
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Also we never used tins of tomatos, just tomato puree
My god that's going to make the sauce rich! And probably all the nicer for it. Thanks for the tips.
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Simon,
appreciate your input. just need to make sure i'm understanding u so that i can give it a go.
when u say bolognese sauce do u mean "tomato" sauce ie not the rague for making the lasagna.
also when u say meat and soffritto (slow cooked onion - i think) do u mean the filling for making the lasagna.
if u have a recipe it would be much appreciated too.
jerry
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I always use Prue Leith's lasagne verdi recipe...goes down a treat every time :)
Recipe taken from Prue Leith's cookery bible (every cook should have it!)
For the meat sauce:
1 tablespoon dripping or oil
340g/12 oz lean minced beef
1 onion, finely diced
1 stick celery, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
30g/1oz plain flour
290 ml/1/2 pint good brown stock
100ml/ 3 1/2 fl oz white wine (dry)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh marjoram
a pinch of ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon tomato puree
For the cream sauce:
45g / 1 1/2 oz butter
1 bay leaf
45g/ 1 1/2 oz plain flour
570 ml/ 1 pint creamy milk
salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated nutmeg
Method:
Heat thre drippoing or oil in a saucepan and brown the meat well. Add the vegetables and garlic and fry, stirring continuously for 2 minutes.
Stir in the flour. Cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the stock and wine and add the salt and pepper, parsley, marjoram, cinnamon and tomato puree. Bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer slowly for 45 minutes, then boil rapidly, stirring until the sauce has thickened and is syrupy.
Make the cream sauce: melt the butter in a saucepan, add the bayleaf and flour and cook, stirring for one minute. Remove from the heat.
Add the milk and return to the heat. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring continuously, until you have a thick, creamy sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes, season with salt and pepper and remove the bayleaf.
Preheat the oven to gas mark 5.
Butter an ovenproof dish and cover the bottom with a layer of pasta, then spoon on a thin layer of meat sauce. Cover with a layer of cram sauce. Arrange a layer of pasta on top of this. Continue in this manner, finishing with a layer of cream sauce. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until bubbling and just brown on top. (If using bought pasta, cook to the manufacturer's instructions.).
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oh, I also add a crushed clove of garlic and about 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons grated grana padano cheese to the white sauce, remembering to take out the garlic before using....DELISH! :)
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Been keeping my eye on this and waiting to hear how it turns out with the trio of cheeses Jerry not to mention the additional notes from Simon. Domi has just added another recipe too but will await your latest findings as you seemed so close to your local Casa. Nice tread guys. Bye the way how has UB got on with his Pizza Oven project?
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2 tablespoons grated grana padano cheese
Cheapskate! That's just Parmigiano Reggiano for chavs! ;D ;)
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Ssshhhh Secret satan! I'm trying me best to con folk as I've got some class! Anyways, I use Parmigiano for the top.....me mam allus said I were all top show!
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Panpot,
i'm pretty happy with it (been like this since the 1st go) - i have tweaked it a little though. the family have now told me to stop messing further. the only bit troubling me is to get the tomato sauce a little more liquid so that it does not dry out too much during the cooking. it's about a 9 as it is. i think i will just add a little water on the next go (tried stock and no good).
i haven't bothered with the trio of cheese. the 500g sainsbury grated mild cheese works well enough (i use same on pizza). the only other thing is that i've decided fresh tomato in the tom sauce gives the best result (over tinned toms) but i pretty much use the tins down to cost (ie only in season do i use fresh).
slight tweak's :
ragu (the meat): 300g onion, 2tsp ea of basil & oregano, no salt.
tom sauce: 300g onion, 300g carrot, no wine, herbs 2 tsp ea marjoram, oregano, basil, blend at end of cooking.
on the tom sauce it's important to caramelise the onion/well cook out the carrot before adding the rest (20mins). i then cook the sauce covered for another 40 mins.
i can post the full recipe if the additional instructions are difficult to fit into the original recipe.
976bar is a real star for sorting this for the family.
i should add the qty's make 5 lasagna size sheet "lasagnas" in my book either 5 large or 10 normal portions. there is never any left after feeding the family of 4.
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Domi,
just finished my 1st tin chinata (smoked paprika for those not in the know) - many many thanks.
the lasagna recipe looks like the delia version which we also make. i use fresh grated nutmeg myself.
i like the idea of the bay (and the cheese) in the sauce and the cinnamon in the ragu. i will try and sneak them in but it's my wife's dish so i'll have to tread slowly as they are getting too close for comfort in my good lady's eye's who does not share this wonderful world of curry. lancashire lass enough said.
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You're welcome, Jerry :)
cinnamon works as good in bologneses it does in chilli :) Give it a go just once, you won't regret it ;)
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Domi,
i tried the cinnamon in the bolognese (the rague for lasagna) over the weekend.
quite a surprise. with hindsight i added too much (1/2 tsp for 800g beef mince). i will reduce to 1/4 tsp next time. for me with a curry slant 1/2 tsp was fine but there are black sheep in the family.
i do like what it does though - many thanks for the idea - appreciated.
next up is chilli (and in the distance moussaka).
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ooh! I make a cracking chilli, Jerry!
500g minced beef (have used minced lamb too and it tastes just as good)
1 large onion, finely diced
5 cloves garlic
1 tin tomatoes (large)
3 fresh tomatoes, cut into 8
2 tsp Chilli powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp cinnamon
Method:
Fry onion until soft and just beginning to colour. Add garlic and fry for a couple of minutes then add the spice mix (using some of the juice from the tomatoes if it sticks to the pan) fry for a couple of minutes before adding mince bit by bit, stirring all the while until mince is coloured but not cooked through. Add the tinned tomatoes and fresh tomatoes, stir through and turn heat down so that it cooks on a slow simmer, partly covered for 30-45 minutes.....depending on the taste of the tomatoes (some are pretty weak) I sometimes add 1 tblsp tomato ketchup. Alternatively, stick all ingredients in a slow cooker and leave it to cook all day....I serve it with plain rice and homemade garlic bread.....any leftovers go onto french bread and made into french bread pizzas! Always goes down a treat ;)
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ooh! I make a cracking chilli, Jerry!
500g minced beef (have used minced lamb too and it tastes just as good)
1 large onion, finely diced
5 cloves garlic
1 tin tomatoes (large)
3 fresh tomatoes, cut into 8
2 tsp Chilli powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp cinnamon
Method:
Fry onion until soft and just beginning to colour. Add garlic and fry for a couple of minutes then add the spice mix (using some of the juice from the tomatoes if it sticks to the pan) fry for a couple of minutes before adding mince bit by bit, stirring all the while until mince is coloured but not cooked through. Add the tinned tomatoes and fresh tomatoes, stir through and turn heat down so that it cooks on a slow simmer, partly covered for 30-45 minutes.....depending on the taste of the tomatoes (some are pretty weak) I sometimes add 1 tblsp tomato ketchup. Alternatively, stick all ingredients in a slow cooker and leave it to cook all day....I serve it with plain rice and homemade garlic bread.....any leftovers go onto french bread and made into french bread pizzas! Always goes down a treat ;)
I always thought chilli had Kidney beans in? I use a can of mixed beans in a chilli sauce from Tesco :)
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oh yeah I forgot! I add one can of kidney beans for adults or if I'm making it for picky kids I replace the kidney beans with baked beans, reduce the chilli and omit the ketchup ;)
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if I'm making it for picky kids I replace the kidney beans with baked beans, reduce the chilli and omit the ketchup ;)
Bloody kids have it too easy these days. If I had picky kids I'd make your chilli, only I'd leave out the:
500g minced beef (have used minced lamb too and it tastes just as good)
1 large onion, finely diced
5 cloves garlic
1 tin tomatoes (large)
3 fresh tomatoes, cut into 8
2 tsp Chilli powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp cinnamon
Then see how picky they are! ;) ;D
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if I'm making it for picky kids I replace the kidney beans with baked beans, reduce the chilli and omit the ketchup ;)
Bloody kids have it too easy these days. If I had picky kids I'd make your chilli, only I'd leave out the:
500g minced beef (have used minced lamb too and it tastes just as good)
1 large onion, finely diced
5 cloves garlic
1 tin tomatoes (large)
3 fresh tomatoes, cut into 8
2 tsp Chilli powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp cinnamon
Then see how picky they are! ;) ;D
LOL Santa!!! Thats right just give em a plate of Kidney beans and see how they cope with that! ;D
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Domi,
chilli spec looks good. i'll try the smoked paprika (along with the cinnamon). our's is very similar (no fresh tom and we chuck it all in the pot and straight into the oven). we add 10 secs pour of Lea & Perrins, ~2tbsp tom puree and ~1tsp black pepper. I also like a good slug of tabasco but not essential. we use the chopped dried red chillies for that extra on the heat front in place of powder.
ice cold cider is a must. we also go for a treat with what i'd call soft garlic bread. i love the pizza version too but for chilli an 800g loaf wrapped in foil gives a softness which seems to pull it all together.
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ummmm....SecretSatan and 976bar....is this where we get into a pythonesque "Of course, we had it tough" type debate? pmsl :D
Jerry, a tablespoon of Jack Daniels smoky chilli barbecue sauce adds a nice flavour too.... ;) I also use it in a bourbon ribs recipe if I can't get chipotle ketchup......
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give em a plate of Kidney beans and see how they cope with that! ;D
Kidney beans!
LUXURY!
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Aye...we used to dream of kidney beans :'(
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Olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 tin italian plum tomatoes (get a good variety not the supermarket ones)
Tomato Puree
1 lamb or beef knorr stock cube in a mug of boiling water (so 1/2 pint)
dried basil
dried Oregano
1 desertspoon sugar
600 or 700 gramms of either lean steak mince or lamb mince
Worcestershire sauce
Salt and Pepper
Gently fry the onion until soft and golden brown
add the garlic and fry for around 2 minutes (don't burn it as it will taste bitter)
add the chopped tomatoes and cook for around 2-3 minutes
Meanwhile brown the mince in another pan then add this to the mixture
add the stock
add tomato puree. I usually use around 50 - 70 gramms
few dashes worcestershire sauce
add the basil and oregano
add the sugar
Salt
Ground black pepper
Now let it simmer for around 30 minutes, so that the mince is cooked thoroughly and the sauce has reduced into a lovely thick tomato consistency. Make sure you turn it every once in a while. :)
Hi,
Thanks for starting this thread, I must have missed it. Been after a good tomato sauce recipe for ages and this is good, thanks for posting 976bar its easy to do & very tasty. The wife was well happy ;D
cheers
Will
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Hi
Try pork mince/sausage in the ratio of 25% as for the use of carrot, I find it best to grate it because after an hour of cooking it starts to take in the other flavours and adds bulk. I will try and get hold of a veg only version from a chef mate, best ever.
Regards
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i make Delia's lasagne a lot. it consists of multiple layers of ragu, white sauce (bechemel) and pasta sheet.
That's how I make it and I love it. The best Lasagne I've ever had was in one of two places: Spaghetti House in London and some hotel in the middle of nowhere in Africa!
I'd never leave the white sauce out. I know it's all subjective, but I reckon that's a key element and featured in my two favourite restaurant examples.
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George,
my wife makes the delia dish ie with the bechemel and for sure it's real good.
whenever we go to italian (casa in liverpool) they only do the tom sauce & cheese version - different but well worth a try using 976bar's recipe. interesting that the kids prefer the casa version yet we too would stick with the bechemal.
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I worked in an Italian Restaurant for a few years , trained with Northern Italians .
They actually boiled a whole piece of beef ( usually topside) in oil , added in garlic , onions ,black pepper ,fresh homemade tomato sauce , herbs etc
After it was cooked , they'd skim the oil and save it .Remove the beef and mince it .
Of course they'd make fresh pasta ....
They would then layer the lasgane , first some tomato sauce , minced beef , cheese , then pasta sheets , and do that for 4 layers. On the top , they's whisk eggs and cheese and tip on top ,half way through the baking process.
For me personally , this lasagne was too dry - but obviously a more traditional Italian lasgne.
I make mine totally different , I also use a bechamel sauce , ( well cheese sauce really ) and I add a layer of bechamel to each layer . Its all to do with the consistency of the sauces too.
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the apprentice,
interesting background.
the whisk eggs & cheese is something i've not come across - do have more on it (recipe).
also what do think of the tom sauce recipe above http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3564.msg31854#msg31854 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3564.msg31854#msg31854). i find it pretty spot on but always interested to learn and improve.
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Always good to have a professional chef on board Apprentice 8)
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Always good to have a professional chef on board Apprentice 8)
Are you jumping to conclusions CA?
Actually I trained in french cuisine , did some time working with italians , but that was many years ago.
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the apprentice,
interesting background.
the whisk eggs & cheese is something i've not come across - do have more on it (recipe).
also what do think of the tom sauce recipe above http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3564.msg31854#msg31854 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3564.msg31854#msg31854). i find it pretty spot on but always interested to learn and improve.
I will check it out when I get more time Jerry ! :)
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Olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 tin italian plum tomatoes (get a good variety not the supermarket ones)
Tomato Puree
1 lamb or beef knorr stock cube in a mug of boiling water (so 1/2 pint)
dried basil
dried Oregano
1 desertspoon sugar
600 or 700 gramms of either lean steak mince or lamb mince
Worcestershire sauce
Salt and Pepper
Gently fry the onion until soft and golden brown
add the garlic and fry for around 2 minutes (don't burn it as it will taste bitter)
add the chopped tomatoes and cook for around 2-3 minutes
Meanwhile brown the mince in another pan then add this to the mixture
add the stock
add tomato puree. I usually use around 50 - 70 gramms
few dashes worcestershire sauce
add the basil and oregano
add the sugar
Salt
Ground black pepper
Now let it simmer for around 30 minutes, so that the mince is cooked thoroughly and the sauce has reduced into a lovely thick tomato consistency. Make sure you turn it every once in a while. :)
Hi,
Thanks for starting this thread, I must have missed it. Been after a good tomato sauce recipe for ages and this is good, thanks for posting 976bar its easy to do & very tasty. The wife was well happy ;D
cheers
Will
I'm glad you liked it :)
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Love a lasagne! and getting more and more in Italian
Got my bolognese sauce nailed now but like Josh's suggestion of triple cheese combo will give that ago at the end of the week and report back.
does any one have any Italian appetizer recipes??
All the best UB.
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Josh's suggestion of triple cheese combo
UB,
feedback along these lines. i used proper mozzarella last time i made this (lower sat fat than the pizza cheese i normally use) and the dish was a real let down.
for me a combo cheese is critical - cheddar, mozzarella but not sure on what or if for the 3rd
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For the cheese combo, I use mozzarella, provolone, and parm reggiano.
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cool thanks, any appetizers gents?
I'm liking the look of this one
Olive cheese balls
serves 6
ingredients
225g/8oz Cheddar cheese,
finely grated
300g/11oz plain flour
75g/3oz butter, melted
36 good-quality stuffed olives
- Mix together the grated cheese
and flour, add the butter and mix
thoroughly to form a dough. Mould
1 teaspoon of dough around each
olive, and shape into a ball.
- Put the balls on a greased baking
sheet. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 200?C/
400?F/Gas mark 6.
- Once the balls are chilled, bake
in the oven for 15?20 minutes.
Serve warm.
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For the cheese combo, I use mozzarella, provolone, and parm reggiano.
Josh, do you use all 3 cheese on all layers or just the top?
also i don't have provolone, can ricotta be used as substitute?
im thinking mozarella, ricotta and parm reggiano
Cheers UB.
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UB,
just for info i've used ricotta on it's own before and it was no good (no taste or texture).
the provolone from google for what we could easily buy in the UK looks like a sort of smoked cheddar cheese which i'm not sure would work ie u're 3 might just be worth a go as ea has a different characteristic. ie if we can't get the real stuff easily then a substitute does not look promising.
on the layers we make 2 types of lasagna - delia's and 976bar's. delia's has the "cheese sauce" on all layers whereas 976bar has it surrounding and poured over the assembled sheets.
looking fwd to josh's thoughts