07 April 2024 , 10:30
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Spag bol is a weekday staple for many Brits, but chances are you're missing out on elevated flavour, according to Mary Berry.
The renowned TV chef has shared the secret to making your bolognese rich and tender - and chances are you'll already have it in your fridge.
In a BBC video, Mary shared her mouthwatering recipe and revealed her special ingredient - double cream - explaining she has a special way of including it into the sauce.
She said: "Nothing beats a hearty supper when you've worked up an appetite, and this recipe is my delicious version of one of our nation's go-to dishes. We Brits cook bolognese more than any other meat recipe, so here is how it goes."
Her secret ingredient is double cream - but she has a special way to include it in the recipe (Getty Images)The recipe is for six people and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare, The Express reports. However it will take two hours to cook to make sure the meat is soft and tender.
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Stuck on the double cream? Cooking guru Mary Berry explains you should stir it in during the final hour of cooking - but there's a specific way she likes to incorporate it into the sauce.
Ingredients
- 500g of pork mince
- 500g of beef mince
- 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
- 450g of pappadelle pasta
- Salt for the pasta water
- Parmesan cheese
- Basil leaves to serve
Method
1. Preheat your oven to 160C and heat oil in a large pot on the hob. When hot, add the chopped carrots, celery and onions and fry on high heat for five minutes, or until the vegetables soften.
2. Fry the pork and beef mince in the same pot on high heat until browned. Mary said: "Having the two meats means you get a wonderful deep flavour, and it's what the Italians do." The meat may stick together but you can break it up with two wooden spatulas and mix the bolognese ingredients together.
3. After separating the meat, add the crushed garlic and let it fry for around 30 seconds before tipping in the tomato paste and stirring it into the bolognese sauce.
4. Once all mixed together, add in the beef stock, chopped tomatoes and passata sauce, continue to give the bolognese sauce a good stir and let it bubble.
5. Add in the wine, wine, herbs, salt and pepper. The pro recommended using white or red, with her preference being white.
6. Transfer the bolognese to the oven, as Mary suggested: "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."
7. After an hour in the oven, it's time to add the secret ingredient - the double cream. Mary explained: "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."
8. Return the dish to the oven for another hour, and make sure the lid isn't on. The meat should become very fork-tender when done. Once the bolognese sauce is nearly done cooking, fill a pot with salted water and bring it to a boil to cook the pasta. Drain once cooked, then set aside.