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Spaghetti and Meat Balls
Answer
Dear Jo
SPAGHETTI AND MEAT BALLS
Meat Balls
You could grill the meat balls as you suggest on a grill rack in a roasting tin at the very top of the Roasting Oven, but you will get better results oven-frying them in the tin without a rack, with the tin placed on the floor of the Roasting Oven. Less supervision will be required than cooking them on the top of the cooker. Place the meatballs at one end of a large roasting tin and place the onions, if using, at the other. Drizzle the onions with oil and toss. Place the tin on the floor of the Roasting Oven with the meatballs towards the back where it is hottest. The onions and meat balls will fry here, there is enough fat in the meat balls, no further oil will be required. Oven-fry for 12-15 minutes until the meatballs are golden underneath. Turn the meatballs over and toss the onions and return to the oven again with the meatballs towards the back for a further 12-15 minutes. Pour off the surplus fat immediately.
Aga Cookery Doctor Tip
I would always recommend using the meat from prepared sausages rather than using sausagemeat sold separately - it is usually of much better quality. Simply slit each sausage with a sharp knife then peel off the skin and remove the filling.
Cooking Dried Pasta
To cook the pasta bring a large pan of salted water to the boil on the Boiling Plate. Add the dried pasta and return to the boil uncovered. You may continue on the Boiling Plate, possibly with the pan partially offset on the hotplate to regulate the speed of boiling, move the pan to the Simmering Plate or even transfer the whole thing to the Simmering Oven for the remainder of the cooking time. It all depends on what else you are cooking at the same time. Those three methods are in my descending order of personal preference in an ideal world, but I use all of them on occasion. Certainly if I am cooking a lot of other food I tuck the pan into the Simmering Oven knowing that I am making good use of the stored heat in the oven and not over-using the hotplates which I may require for other things. That is the beauty of cooking on an Aga - it is so flexible and you always have several options, it really takes the pressure and stress out of cooking whether cooking for two people or twenty. Cook as directed on the packet (they vary so much these days, brand to brand). Drain and return to the pan.
Spaghetti Sauce
Tomato sauce, either home-made or jazzed-up bought, can be simmered to a rich conclusion in the Simmering Oven after being brought to simmering point elsewhere in the cooker. Ragù sauces and their cousins will happily simmer happily at a mere blip for hours. Some years ago I researched Ragù sauce recipes and grazed my way through over 20 Master Recipes from the serious Mediterranean food writers - such luminaries as Carluccio, Child, Conte, David, Grigson, Harris, Hazan, Roden and Root, amongst others, and these two were my personal favourites. Do try them as they have a fantastic depth of flavour.
Ragù Bolognese, my recipe based on an original from the kitchen of Antonio Carluccio
1 oz (25g) butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
9 oz (250g) minced beef
9 oz (250g) minced pork
6 tbsp white wine
2 lb (900g) "polpa di pomodoro" (passata)
1 tsp concentrated tomato purée
salt
black pepper
Heat the butter and oil in a pan on the Simmering Plate and gently soften the chopped onion. Then add the meats and transfer the pan to the Boiling Plate and fry in batches until golden brown. Don`t be tempted to rush this process or to over-crowd the pan or you will end up steaming the meat. Keep cooked meats warm on a plate whilst the remainder is browned. Stir in the wine, tomato pulp and purée. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a gentle simmer then transfer to the Simmering Plate for 5 minutes. Transfer to the Simmering Oven, uncovered, and leave to slowly cook for about 3 hours. Serve with freshly cooked tagliatelle or spaghetti and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan, if you must.
Note: The delicacy of this classic sauce lies in the combination of meats and the conspicuous absence of indiscriminate use of basil, oregano and parsley. Again, optional garlic if you must!" - Antonio!
Ragù Bolognese, my recipe with additions in italics, based on an original from the kitchen of Marcella Hazan
2-3 tbsp olive oil
Knob of butter
2 large onions, finely chopped
3 sticks celery, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 1/4 lbs (1.5kg) minced beef chuck or similar, not too lean, or a mix of pork and beef
8 oz (225g) chicken livers
Salt and freshly milled black pepper
2 bay leaves
8 fl oz (225ml) milk
Freshly grated nutmeg
8 fl oz (225ml) white wine
1 lb 2 oz (500g) tin Italian plum tomatoes, chopped, with their juice
1 tbsp sugar
Warm the oil and butter in a heavy casserole on the Simmering Plate, add the onion and sauté gently until softened and translucent. Add the celery, carrots and garlic, cook for another couple of minutes, stirring to coat well.
Add the minced beef and a large pinch of salt and grind over some pepper. Transfer the pan to the Boiling Plate and stir continually for several minutes until the meat has lost its raw, pink look. Add the bay leaves and milk and transfer back to the Simmering Plate and bring to a gentle simmer for about 10 minutes, until the meat has absorbed the milk. Add a suspicion of nutmeg - about a third of a teaspoon. Add the wine and let it simmer until it has evaporated, then add the tomatoes and stir thoroughly. Leave uncovered on the Simmering Plate to gently come to a slow simmer, stirring occasionally, then transfer uncovered to the Simmering Oven for at least 3 hours. The fat will have separated from the sauce, but it will not be dry. Check the seasoning and adjust as necessary.
Note: Marcella claims that adding milk to the meat first protects it from the acidic bite of the tomatoes. She also maintains that it is a good idea to add salt to the meat as soon as you start cooking, to leech out the juice. Chicken livers and a little sugar to offset the acid of the tomatoes have been my personal additions. Variations or course are possible with fresh basil or dried oregano, to which I am hopelessly addicted.
Enjoy!
Best Wishes
Richard Maggs
THE AGA COOKERY DOCTOR
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Richard I am unsure how to cook my families` favorite dinner, spaghetti and meatballs in a 4-oven. I assume I cook the meatballs in the roasting oven on the top rack? And do I bring the water to boil on the boiling plate and then move the pot to the simmering plate for the 8 minutes it takes to cook spaghetii? Help! Would you be able to list this recipe for me? Thanks so much Jo