Adding another dimension to your Bolognaise Mince!
Sunset tonight
Tuesdays and Thursdays are always a little bit crazy because they are the only two days of the week which I go into town and the reason for that is because Jude has his soccer practice. So, literally anything and everything that needs to happen in town for the week, happens on these two days. Today is Thursday and it was busy as always! Grocery shopping, orders need to get dropped at the courier etc. etc.
In addition, on Thursday I kind of make all the plans for the weekend ahead - food wise - am I having people over for dinner and if so, what am I cooking bla bla... because I won't be seeing the shops again until next week... well, not if I can help it anyway and if I am desperate I will generally just pop down to the local little village shop which has most of the bare essentials.
So, this morning I was deciding on the weekend menu. Things are a lot simpler now that it is just Jude and I and I don't have a third set of dietary requirements to consider and neither Jude nor I are fussy eaters, not in what we eat, nor in consuming any and all leftovers until everything is gone... which is something I really appreciate these days - well, just in general actually.
So the menu for this weekend was decided: Bolognaise for tonight, likely tomorrow and possibly even Saturday lunch for Jude... just depending on how much that bottomless pit consumes tonight and tomorrow, lol. I am being acutely reminded of how much teenage boys eat, haha! The second meal for the weekend which will either happen on Saturday or Sunday - is Butter Chicken Curry! Nice, simple, feel good foods for what looks like a rather chilly weekend heading our way!
So, now that I have written an intro long enough to be a post all on it's own, lol (sorry) all I actually came here to share with you was some great ways to really elevate your bolognaise mince to another level of flavour! Some of you may even do these things already... but for those of you that don't know... these are some of the extra things I do, over and above the "usual"...
I realise that most of you are not in South Africa - but many places do actually have South African shops where you can get South African products - but even if you cannot get this exact product... I suppose any peach/apricot chutney will do. I generally throw in about a heaped dessert spoons worth! I promise you, it just does something special!!!
These two additions to your bolognaise mince will change it forever and you will never go back to not adding them once you have! About a handful of chopped up celery... and do not waste the leaves... add those too. The leaves have an insane amount of flavour! You add those to the onions and garlic at the beginning. Celery may not be a favourite in terms of flavour for many people when on its own (myself included)... but included in ANY kind of soup, stew etc. it is just amazing - and that includes bolognaise mince! Finely grated carrots - yip...! I don't know how true it is and I have never even bothered to check to be honest... but my mom said that Italians always add carrots as a base to their bolognaise mince (or something like that haha) - either way, I have loved it from the the first time I did it - not only does it add another depth of flavour, but it also adds some extra nutrition, as well a bulking up the pot size! I usually add about 1 to 2 carrots.
The next two are non negotiables for me. A large handful of both!!! Freshly chopped basil and parsley... oh, and I mean a handful of EACH not combined! There literally is no such thing as too much fresh basil being added to bolognaise mince. The dimension of flavour they both add is unmistakable!!
Another must do is when you start the cooking and fry the onions... fry them until the bottom of the pot/pan starts to burn/caramelize. This is actually a critical aspect of flavour for pretty much ANY stew or pot based dish which generally begins with the frying of onions. Allow them to almost burn. A bit more than what I have shown you is actually ideal... but I took the above photo about a minute before I was done... but anyway, you get the general idea!
Now, just after you have "burnt" the pot with the onions... and if you not adverse to cooking with wine, now is the perfect time to add that. Like half a cup of good/decent red wine. The rule of thumb is that if you wouldn't drink it... don't cook with it - and I mean this in terms of quality of wine. This idea that you should use cheap, rubbish wine for your cooking... is NOT going to do your food any favours. Just don't do it. Okay, so you add the wine, and keep the heat nice and high so that all the alcohol cooks away before you add all your tomato goodies to the mix!
So, that's it! My little extras for a really awesome bolognaise mince that will definitely stand apart! Now, I need to get back to my kitchen... because in about 5 minutes I need to stretch and fold the three loaves of sourdough I have going for the locals tomorrow!
Hope you all have a fabulous evening and if you do give any of the above suggestions a try - let me know how it goes and also, if you have any other special things you do with your bolognaise mince, I would love to know what they are!
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Until next time...
Much Love from Country Bumpkinland, South Africa xxx
Jaynielea
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Thank you!
Thank you!
Your mum is right; celery and carrots are used in the original Italian Bolognese sauce. And the whole thing is cooked there for over 8 hours - adding red wine, reducing, adding again, reducing, and so on. Until a totally intense extract remains. Delicious stuff ;-))
Yeah my mom did love her "anything Italian" haha! And yes, I recall her telling me about the lengthy process - I think it is wonderful how they turn it into a full on experience - its not just about "cook and eat" lol. They savour the whole thing, it's wonderful!
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I am a bad cook, but I hope visit you for tasting some dish cooked for you. Regards.
hahaha!!! You can always learn - and as for visiting, the door is always open :)
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Thank you!! Much appreciated @sduttaskitchen