What's your best bolognese recipe?

[nappyaddict]

I use a variaton of this recipe depending on what we do and don't have in.

750ml passatta or 2 tins of plum tomatoes blended and sieved
4 cloves garlic crushed
2 onions finely chopped
2 carrots finely chopped
1 aubergine finely chopped
3 cups of chopped butternut squash
100g smoked back bacon chopped
3 red peppers finely chopped
12-14 cherry vine tomatoes or sundried tomatoes cut in half
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or oil from sundried tomatoes
4 tbsp butter
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2-3 tbsp brown sugar
1 teaspoon each of rosemary, oregano, parsley, basil, thyme, nutmeg and cinnamon
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp of worcs sauce
1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
marigold swiss bouillon powder
100ml milk
100ml cream
500ml dry white wine
knob of butter
parmesan cheese
extra mature cheddar

Sweat onion for 10 mins in olive oil and butter. Add the honey during the last 2 minutes and cook over a high heat, stirring, until dark brown. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the carrots, courgettes, peppers, soy sauce and worcs sauce until golden. In a different pan pour in a good slug of wine to deglaze the pan. Add bacon and fry for a couple of mins. Add mince and fry until browned. Add stock and balsamic vinegar. Stir for a few mins. Add passata or blended toms, vine toms, veg from the other pan, herbs, nutmeg, brown sugar. Mix milk and cream together and add spoon by spoon whilst stirring. Stir and simmer for 15 mins. Add garlic. Stir and simmer for at least another 15 mins. If you have time simmer for another 2.5 hours. Season with black pepper, add knob of butter and cheese.

Does anyone add marmalade or chocolate? How much and when do you add it?

The fact that you add Milk and cream, well that shocks me.

gordon ramsays recipe from his cookalong live show is yummy and quick

saphron are you only meant to use one or the other then?

I add sweet chilli dipping sauce, although I use good quality tomatoes it takes the sharpness off and gives it a little kick.

I have never used either to be honest.
I normally use, Onion, Garlic, Peppers, Courgettes, Mince, Bacon, Tinned Tomatoes, (I had never heard of passata until a few months ago) Oxo Cube, Worcester Sauce, Oregano, Basil, Red Wine, Salt and Black Pepper.
Mine is chunky, and I brown of Garlic and Onion and then add Mince and Bacon until Brown then I add the veg and toms, give it a stir and add herbs and seasoning, wine and crumble the Oxo cube in. Stir and simmer until cooked through.

sorry add the worcester with the wine and oxo cube

I use a recipe from Tom Norrington-Davies that says using beef and pork mince (50/50) is best and I am a convert. I also simmer it for approx 2 hrs and it is lovely.

I can't use milk as my little dd ia allergic to dairy, but I have done it that way previously.

I use Mary Berry's if I want to cook it on the stove
or the Jamie Oliver one from Happy Days with the Naked Chef if I wan to do it in the oven

but I always use more veg than they do