SOS:pl help save my stew /drowned it in too much pasatta

[YousayPassataISaypeastta]

I was making a ragu and I've scaled up to two litres of it, and now it tastes it nothing else, the recipe was for 300g of braising beef, 500g passatts etc but I had 1200g beef so I scaled up. It's been going for 2 hours plus and it's hardly reduced at all.
Should I add water and keep cooking it?

Don’t add water. Scale up all
the ingredients. You need to let it simmer obviously it will take longer.

Either keep simmering till it reduces, or spoon out some of the liquid. I don't think you can ruin a stew with too much passata though. Maybe add more herbs if it's tasteless?

I would pour out the liquid and heat it in a separate pan at a high heat to reduce it. Chuck in some herbs if it needs more flavour. You could always thicken with a bit of butter mixed with flour/cornflour.

Add a freshly chopped chili for flavour and a bit of a kick.

Stock pot and cornflour

Could you strain off some of the liquid?

Not quite sure your OP makes sense, as I wouldn't add water if it was already too liquidy

When you scale recipes, you don't scale the liquid up as much as the solid ingredients.

So 300g of mince is upscale to 1200g ie x 4

Passata 500mls x4 = 2000 mls, but in actual fact you might only need 1000 mls or 1200mls.
You learn to add about half the liquid and see how it looks and then add a bit more if needed.

Oh dear well I did scale it all up. The liquid is thick passattA, nearly a bottle of wine, beef broth but all I can taste is tangy passatts

Reduce most of the liquid in a separate saucepan as has been suggested Add back in and if it still tastes too much of tomato add in some garlic paste and herbs and/or beef stockpot

Intense beef flavour like one of those jelly stock pots. Add a second if needed. In an emergency you could add beef gravy granules.

Tomato tang can be offset with salt and worstershire sauce.

You will need to simmer for a few hours. Add a teaspoon or more (go slowly) of sugar. That should help offset the tang. Then some oxo cubes. Just melt them in hot liquid from the ragu. Don't add more liquid. Keep tasting. Add garlic, chilli, herbs as you feel. If you desperately you need to make a roux to thicken it do it in a separate saucepan to cook the flour through before you add it to the ragu.

Chop some bacon and go heavy on garlic and chilli. Do not add water. A glass of red wine though!

If it's bitter from so much tomato just half a teaspoon of sugar would make a real difference.

Make a cornflour slurry, this will help thicken it let it cook through , taste, re-evaluate what flavour is missing, keep checking ,I'm sure it will come good

It's thick with passattA sugar sounds like a good idea, it's very tangy
How much longer should it cook for

What are you using it for?

If it's to be served tonight, I'd reduce it fairly fiercely after adding some umami flavours. A tin of anchovies, or a couple of shiitake mushrooms blitzed to powder would do it. Or a good dash of Henderson's Relish/Worcester Sauce if all else fails.

If it's for a family dish tomorrow, I'd dice whatever's knocking about - carrots, peppers, potatoes - chuck them in & give it half an hour more on a steady heat.

Or maybe a handful of lentils?

If it's an absolute emergency...gravy granules, less than you think, & throw a shitload of parsley/coriander/almond slivers on top to disguise your shortcomings...

It's for tomorrow night and to freeze, it's got 8 carrot and 8 celery in also

Add a little sugar or dark chocolate drops. The sweetness 'softens' the tomatoey sharpness. It shouldn't taste at all sweet or chocolatey. Add a teaspoonfull of sugar or 3-4 chocolate drops at a time, stir well to ensure it is all dissolved and well-combined, and then taste. I would guess that nearly 1.5L of ragout would need ~3tsp of sugar or 8-10 chocolate drops.

A big spoonful of marmite/bovril will help

ok, it'll be fine then. You just need a spoon of sugar to take off any tomato bitterness a bit, & give it another half hour over a gentle heat.

It would still be better with a good dash of anchovies etc, but it'll be grand - you just need to mellow off the tomatoes.

Just to be clear it's got 2 litres of passatta in it.

About 950 of beef stock

@Dilbertian it's 2 litres of passata alone... Just under a lure of beef stock

I'll add sugar

I'd add a few cubes of dark chocolate and some Marmite. I'd also add more herbs.

Agree if you can add a few squares of dark chocolate or cocoa powder works too.

Nutmeg will take off the tang without being too sweet. And yy to stock cubes and Hendo's.

I've taken some passata out two breakfast bowls full
I've added some of sugar, balsamic and beef stock in 1/2 litre of water.

Unfortunately it still tastes overwhelmingly of passata.. It's like tomato soup with some beef and carrots in it.

I wouldn't mind so much but I splashed out on really nice beef and stock for batch cooking.
Thanks for all the help.
What a fool.