Bolognaise sauce

Ingredients

• olive oil
• 2 large onions
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 stalks of celery
• 4 regular sized carrots
• 3-5 cups of fresh mushrooms
• At least 500g lean minced beef
• 800g tinned chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
• 12 fresh medium vine-ripened tomatoes (quartered)
• 100g tomato puree
• 2 teaspoons of sugar (to cut the acidity of the tomatoes)
• 1 organic beef stock cube
• 500ml boiled water
• 400ml dry white wine
• Fresh basil and oregano
• Salt and pepper to season

Method

• Gently pan-fry onion and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent
• Meanwhile, dice carrots, celery and mushrooms
• Add the beef to the pan with the onions and garlic, and gently brown it, stiring to break it up well
• When the beef is browned, add carrots, celery and mushrooms and stir
• Stir in the tomato puree
• Add tinned tomatoes and chopped fresh tomatoes
• Stir in the sugar
• Dissolve the beef stock cube with the boiled water and add it to the pot
• Add the wine
• Cover and bring everything to the boil
• Once it boils, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and start working on the rest of your menu – leave the sauce to simmer for at least 3 hours.
• It can go all day if you keep an eye on it and keep it on a gentle simmer.</dd>
• Before you use the sauce, rip up some fresh basil and oregano and add this to the pot. Continue simmering gently.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.