Spag Bol

[Tapiola]

A Saturday staple chez nous.

My own utterly unauthentic recipe (makes 4-5 portions):

1 lb mince
Onion
Scallions
3 cloves garlic
1 stalk of celery
Most of a tube of tomato puree
Glass of white wine
Dash of balsamic vinegar
Vegetable stock cube and 2 cups water
Salt, pepper, 3 teaspoons of sugar
Dash of tamarind sauce (the killer ingredient)
Bayleaf

Serve on good quality dried linguine (De Cecco or suchlike) and add chopped green chillies.

Yum.

Does anyone have their own favourite recipes/variants?

[french frank]

Does anyone have their own favourite recipes/variants?

Not really, but if I have a bottle of white wine open, I do add it to anything where I'm frying/sauteeing onions just to take the bitterness off them.

Having a bottle open once, I added some to the (tomato) sauce and - oh! - I'd overlooked the fact that it was red wine: the onions resembled carrot and the tomatoes looked like beetroot (or vice versa - I can't remember)!

It was still edible, but white wine it must be.

[Nick Armstrong]

A Saturday staple chez nous.

My own utterly unauthentic recipe (makes 4-5 portions):

1 lb mince
Onion
Scallions
3 cloves garlic
1 stalk of celery
Most of a tube of tomato puree
Glass of white wine
Dash of balsamic vinegar
Vegetable stock cube and 2 cups water
Salt, pepper, 3 teaspoons of sugar
Dash of tamarind sauce (the killer ingredient)
Bayleaf

Serve on good quality dried linguine (De Cecco or suchlike) and add chopped green chillies.

Yum.

Does anyone have their own favourite recipes/variants?

Looks pretty sumptuous. The only thing I would quibble with is the celery, my least favourite foodstuff I think on the planet.

Love the kinky tamarind touch

Haven't had a good spag bog for ages. (Hint hint!! )

[Tapiola]

The thing about the celery is that it can't be tasted (I think it just helps to round the flavour out) - my stepdaughter hates the stuff too and even she will eat the bol after I have informed her of its contents. And tamarind - aahh - a wonder food.

and I agree about the white wine, ff. I once experimented with red in the bol sauce - big mistake. Also molasses instead of sugar - another no no. The resulting gloop resembled tar (and tasted as good).

[Nick Armstrong]

The thing about the celery is that it can't be tasted (I think it just helps to round the flavour out) - my stepdaughter hates the stuff too and even she will eat the bol after I have informed her of its contents.

(But aren't there stringy lumps of the stuff in there? It's the texture I dislike as much as the taste.)

BTW if you ever make me a Bloody Mary, please please no celery salt!!

[Keraulophone]

Georg Szell was a noted amateur cook and people would ask him for a recipe, which, if he'd agreed to pass on, would be missing one ingredient.

My 'missing ingredient' which contributes richness to a ragu is chicken liver. A small handful of the livers, finely diced, gives an interesting depth of flavour that combines well with the other standard ingredients. It seems to go down well in our family. Italian cookery writer Anna Del Conte, on Desert Island Discs in Nov 2010, has 'proper' advice on Spag Bol as eaten in Bologna. Kirsty asked about it at 12'13" into the programme: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/desert-island-discs/castaway/6269472e#b00vy3rr

Spag Bol, of course, should not actually involve spaghetti, and I'm impressed to see that it doesn't get a mention above. In Italy, tagliatelle usually accompanies this style of ragu.

[Nick Armstrong]

In Italy, tagliatelle usually accompanies this style of ragu.

As one who hopes to be tucking in to just that sort of thing in Rome and environs from Sunday onwards, I can only concur whilst simultaneously salivating

[Anna]

A rather baffling recipe, on two counts. Firstly, it does not contain tomatoes only tomato puree and secondly - three teaspoons of sugar? Why would it be necessary to add sugar? The celery is not odd, my sister always adds it (I would never do so, much as I like celery in other dishes) and Keraulophone is correct regarding adding depth with chicken liver and I also use tagliatelle (fresh) rather than spaghetti (makes it tidier to eat)

[vinteuil]

... it also appears to be a very British rather than Italian dish - in the proportions of ragu to pasta. A quarter pound of mince per person? In Italy it's the pasta that predominates, the accompanying sauce / ragu / whatever being a mere smear to British eyes and stummicks...

[vinteuil]

... odd, this fervent dislike of celery. I had never encountered it before meeting the future Mme V - who can't abide celery or apricots (yes, Calibs - it's the stringy texture that is the killer... ) - I attribute her dislike to the ghastly food she had at the convent where she was educated - she partly agrees. I can understand a loathing of strong tastes or squeamish things (offal, some seafood etc... ) - but celery seems to me such an innocent thing. My first major victory was persuading Mme V that celery salt was the essential (and lovely) accompaniment to quails' eggs : she agrees.

[Anna]

But vints, I love celery - and are you familiar with the tinned veg drink V8? Pure celery taste, lovely. Celery in old fashioned lamb stew, and braised celery hearts with roast pork, simply yummy!! Also you can grow lovage, add the leaves to casseroles, etc.

[vinteuil]

But vints, I love celery - and are you familiar with the tinned veg drink V8? Pure celery taste, lovely. Celery in old fashioned lamb stew, and braised celery hearts with roast pork, simply yummy!! Also you can grow lovage, add the leaves to casseroles, etc.

... o Anna - I love celery! It's Mme V what objects...

How can you make a serious mirepoix without celery!? (So I do, and Mme V has gradually come round to the idea... )

[mangerton]

A Saturday staple chez nous.

My own utterly unauthentic recipe (makes 4-5 portions):

1 lb mince
Onion
Scallions

Does anyone have their own favourite recipes/variants?

Sounds delicious.

Most folks call them green onions, but they're really scallions

[Anna]

How can you make a serious mirepoix without celery!?

With difficulty? It's obvious that thee and me have a discerning palate! I'm still baffled by the inclusion of sugar (and the failed attempt of molasses) in a meat dish ......... My spag bol is very simple and the secret is to simmer it for a very long time and, perhaps, if it needs any thickening then a small squeeze of puree. I also prefer to use lamb rather than beef.

[Nick Armstrong]

O Lor.... Anna and vindetable, joint leaders of the British League of Celery Fascists! "Oh it's so inoffensive"... IT'S VILE! That bottled V8 juice - liquid hell

I'm surprised at Mme vindetable, allowing celery salt anywhere near her quail's eggs.

I'm also sort of with her in the matter of apricots. I can only eat them fresh - stew the buggers and I'll run a mile.

(Mind you I don't really like hot fruit of any kind - especially cherries but also baked apples etc etc. Apple pie works... and pears are the exception, they can be delicious hot)

I digress.

In short, my regards the most sympathetic to Mme vindetable