Tried & Tested: Classic Spag Bol and Biferno
Laura on 21 Apr 2015
Spaghetti Bolognese - the essentials
Everyone has a favourite Bolognese recipe and here is mine.
The secret to this one is the fennel seed which adds a really interesting fresh, herby note. Classic Italian sausages are made with fennel and so this serves a similar purpose here.
The pancetta is also important: British bacon just doesn’t cut it. The slightly spicy nutmeg and white pepper notes from the pork are essential.
The minced beef has got to be full fat too – the lean stuff ends up stringy and dry and is not fun to eat. You can always skim off the fat before you serve, but please don’t strain until the end.
The ingredients I’ve highlighted as requiring ‘good quality’ are other essentials – don’t skimp on these. It’s worth paying extra because the flavour is so intense that you can eat less of it and feel utterly satisfied.
Another essential ingredient is the accompanying wine - you shouldn't skimp on that either...
Wine match
With this classic Brit-Italian favourite I thought I’d try the new version of an all time GWW classic – the mighty Biferno. Bolognese is an everyday meal in households up and down the land, but here I've upped the ante, creating a dish which is made with respect for ingredients we often take for granted. Likewise, Biferno is an ‘everyday wine’ – competitively priced at £8.50 and so an affordable indulgence. But, Biferno really does punch well above its weight – it’s a weekday wine which still has the ‘wow factor.’
The 2009 is older than previous incarnations of Biferno, spending time in oak. The wine is still really fresh, but the time spent in barrel has added a weight and texture to the wine, as well as those comforting aromas of vanilla and spice. The flavours of cherry, plum, herbs and spice are a great accompaniment to the rich meaty sauce of the Bolognese. The acidity of Italian reds also makes them the perfect match for tomato-rich dishes like this one.
As an experiment I tested the wine against a rogue supermarket Bordeaux priced at £5.99 that had been brought by a dinner guest. No offence to the guest but the wine tasted like vinegar in comparison! For a couple of quid more you get something that is ten times better – a bit like the ingredients for the Bolognese sauce. You can afford everyday luxury, you've just got to know where to find it...
Ingredients:
Serves 4
Soffritto
- Tablespoon olive oil
- One red or white onion
- One carrot
- Two celery stick
- Two garlic cloves
- One fresh bay leaf
- Sprig rosemary
Sauce
- 200ml red wine
- Can good quality chopped tomatoes eg Cirio
- Two tablespoon good quality tomato purée eg Cirio
- Beef stock cube – good quality eg Kallo organic
- Half can water
- Half finger rind of Parmesan
Meat
- 500g minced beef - must be 20% fat
- Pancetta cubes – 65g
- One teaspoon fennel seeds – crushed in a pestle and mortar
- Splash of Worcester sauce
To serve
- Good quality parmesan cheese – 24 to 36 months aged
- Cooked spaghetti, penne or tagliatelle – the choice is yours
Method
Make a ‘soffritto’ by finely chopping the onion, carrot, celery and garlic, then frying at a low temperature in olive oil. Add the whole herbs and continue to gently cook until soft.
Add the pancetta cubes and fry until the fat renders down, then fry the minced beef, combining with the crushed fennel seeds.
Cook the tomato purée for a minute or so and add the Worcester sauce. Add a large glass – approx 200ml of red wine – and reduce by about half.
When reduced, pour in a can of chopped tomatoes and half a can of water. Warm through and then add the beef stock cube and allow to dissolve in the liquid.
The parmesan rind is not a deal breaker, but it does add some creamy richness to the dish; add this if you have some spare to hand. Make sure you discard the rind before serving.
Cook the Bolognese sauce on a low heat until it is rich and flavoursome - around 1 hour. Serve with your favourite pasta and lashings of aged parmesan.
Enjoy!
By Chris Penwarden