The secrets of Tawan's bolognaise sauce

One of Tawan's Corner Bar and Bistro's most popular foods is pasta. This is because it appeals equally to both Western and Thai palettes with its deep rich tastes and filling pasta noodles. Today we would like to share our bolognaise recipe so you can try it at home. It is very simple to make but for the best results it does require a long slow cooking time.

The basic recipe is very versatile and you can tailor it to your specific tastes by removing or adding ingredients.

• 1kg   Peeled tomatoes
• 500g Onions
• 3       Large garlic cloves
• Tsp   Fennel seeds
• Tsp   Black pepper corns
• Tsp   Oregano
• Tsp   Salt
• 80ml Red wine
• 30ml Olive oil

The first step is to make sure that the tomatoes are chopped up well and for a finished sauce that has a more rustic look then a chunkier cut is better. A fine dice on the onions is recommended so that no firm pieces are left in the sauce. The same is recommended for the garlic so that the flavor is cooked in and no large garlic chunks are left in the final product.

Take the onions and garlic and gently sweat them in a pan with the olive oil until translucent. Be very careful not to burn the garlic because this will introduce a bitter flavor to the sauce. Next we take the fennel and black pepper and toast them in a dry pan.When you get the strong aroma you will know that they are ready to be taken off the heat. After they have cooled then crush them up into a fine powder.

We use a ceramic slow cooker to produce large batches of sauce but it can be equally well made in a sauce pan or fry pan. Add the tomatoes, onions, garlic, herbs and red wine and allow to simmer for a few minutes then lower the heat and cover. The salt should be added once the ingredients have had time to combine so that you get a better idea of the amount of seasoning that is required. Do not be frightened to add small amounts of salt several times instead of one large amount. A great tip is to stir the pot and take a teaspoon full of sauce that is the popped onto some bread to taste. This gives you a much better idea of how the sauce will when added to the pasta.

Generally we cook the sauce out for six to ten hours and the longer the better. If the sauce is more watery than you would like you can slightly open the lid to reduce it slightly. A great way to add an extra rich tomato flavor is by adding some tomato paste that will combine with the fresh ingredients well.

The quantities quoted in this recipe will make six to eight generous portions and not only is freezing possible but it is highly recommended. The freezing, thawing and second cooking really take the sauce to a new level and it keeps for months in a food grade plastic bag or container.

If you would like to try this great dish or any of our pasta range the just come into Tawan's Corner Bar and Bistro and we will give you a meal you well really enjoy. We are located on the corner of Prachasamapan Road and Soi 2 Prachasampan in Chiang Mai.