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Author Topic: italian food topic  (read 17,140 times)

AI Summary
The discussion revolves around finding a good ragu or bolognese sauce recipe, with various members sharing their preferred methods and ingredients. Suggestions include using Heston Blumenthal's "Perfect Bolognese," incorporating chicken livers for richness, and experimenting with different meats like lamb and pork. While some participants advocate for traditional ingredients like celery and anchovies, others share personal modifications and alternative flavor enhancers, leading to a variety of approaches to making a flavorful sauce.

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Offline goncalo

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italian food topic
« on: April 16, 2013, 02:57 PM »
I'm dying to find a decent ragu/bolognese sauce/enhanced olive oil recipe. Any advice?

Also wondering if anyone knows of any good forum/blogs/[e]books for italian food

Thanks!
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Offline Edwin Catflap

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Re: italian food topic
« Reply #1 on: April 16, 2013, 03:15 PM »
Hi

This one looks nice, it's by the Irish foody that name dropped cr0

http://toastedspecial.wordpress.com/tag/pasta/

Ed
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Offline Malc.

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Re: italian food topic
« Reply #2 on: April 16, 2013, 03:17 PM »
Search out Heston Blumenthal's 'Perfect Bolognese'. I do a variation recipe based on it that I put together and it's a staple in our household now. I could post mine if your keen to try it. :)
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Offline spiceyokooko

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Re: italian food topic
« Reply #3 on: April 16, 2013, 03:41 PM »
Quote from: goncalo on April 16, 2013, 02:57 PM
I'm dying to find a decent ragu/bolognese sauce/enhanced olive oil recipe. Any advice?

I use a slightly modified Elizabeth David ragu recipe and the keys to a good bolognese in my opinion are minced chicken livers in with the beef simmered with a star anise and a small swirl of cream or milk at the end of cooking.
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Offline goncalo

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Re: italian food topic
« Reply #4 on: April 16, 2013, 04:12 PM »
Quote from: Axe on April 16, 2013, 03:17 PM
Search out Heston Blumenthal's 'Perfect Bolognese'. I do a variation recipe based on it that I put together and it's a staple in our household now. I could post mine if your keen to try it. :)

Cool, if you have a link to the original one, please let me know. In any case, I would welcome hearing your recipe! :)

Quote from: spiceyokooko on April 16, 2013, 03:41 PM
Quote from: goncalo on April 16, 2013, 02:57 PM
I'm dying to find a decent ragu/bolognese sauce/enhanced olive oil recipe. Any advice?

I use a slightly modified Elizabeth David ragu recipe and the keys to a good bolognese in my opinion are minced chicken livers in with the beef simmered with a star anise and a small swirl of cream or milk at the end of cooking.

That seems highly elaborate. I can't seem to imagine how a star anise would enhance a bolognese - any recipe? :)

Also, funny that you mention minced chicken livers. My grandmother always mixed pork and beef when making bolognese and the combination of the 2 meats was fantastic!
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Offline Malc.

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Re: italian food topic
« Reply #5 on: April 16, 2013, 04:20 PM »
Quote from: goncalo on April 16, 2013, 04:12 PM
In any case, I would welcome hearing your recipe! :)

You can mix around with meat, it works really well with lamb/beef or lamb/pork. Also, the longer you cook it, the better it gets.

Hope you like it. :)

INGREDIENTS
Serves 4
500g lean minced beef
250g minced pork
500g fresh tagliatelle
5 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
1 med carrot, finely chopped
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Offline goncalo

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Re: italian food topic
« Reply #6 on: April 16, 2013, 04:54 PM »
Quote from: Axe on April 16, 2013, 04:20 PM
Quote from: goncalo on April 16, 2013, 04:12 PM
In any case, I would welcome hearing your recipe! :)

You can mix around with meat, it works really well with lamb/beef or lamb/pork. Also, the longer you cook it, the better it gets.

Hope you like it. :)

INGREDIENTS
Serves 4
500g lean minced beef
250g minced pork
500g fresh tagliatelle
5 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
1 med carrot, finely chopped
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Offline Malc.

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Re: italian food topic
« Reply #7 on: April 16, 2013, 05:15 PM »
Quote from: goncalo on April 16, 2013, 04:54 PM
Thanks Axe sounds delicious, apart from anchovies and I'll also ommit celery because I don't have it in stock. I trust the remaining ones will still do a great work. :)

Omitting either will effect the dish as both add a dimension of flavour that is important to it, especially celery which is essential in an Italian sofrito. You could use Worcestershire Sauce in place of the anchovies or use a little re-hydrated dried porcini and the hydrated liquid.
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Offline Peripatetic Phil

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Re: italian food topic (anchovies)
« Reply #8 on: April 16, 2013, 05:41 PM »
I discovered not too long ago, to my horror, that there are at least two different types of anchovies-in-oil sold in this country; the ones I normally buy (and love) in small pilchard-shape tins with a peel-off lid, and the others in a jar.  I unwittingly added the latter to a boiled egg sandwich and found they were, not to put too fine a point on it, absolutely disgusting.  I returned them to the farm shop whence they came, and Bev explained that what I had bought were /fresh/ anchovies, whilst what I normally ate were smoked.  Has anyone else encountered these two distinct varieties ?

** Phil.
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Offline Malc.

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Re: italian food topic
« Reply #9 on: April 16, 2013, 05:51 PM »
I've never experienced a smoked anchovy only the regular cured either stored in oil or salted. I don't know too much about them to really comment, i'm afraid. Wiki mentions the milder white version which is in vinegar, was this what you had?
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