Lasagne...

gameoverdude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120498459#Comment_120498459

No nutmeg or bleedin cloves.

JIdontknow

Who else is making lasagna this evening just because of this thread?

HeidiHeidi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120499653#Comment_120499653

Who made you God?

Some of us like extra flavour, no need to swear at us - nobody's forcing you to use any ingredients, you know.

Seve OB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120500226#Comment_120500226

Pretty standard ingredients. The have no issue when someone doesn’t like something but FFS doesn’t mean everyone else has to be bland

gameoverdude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120500226#Comment_120500226

God. He needed an apprentice.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120498459#Comment_120498459

i think Tesco have whole nutmeg, it’s much fresher when you grate it fresh as opposed to pre ground!

Baba Yaga

cloves could be interesting,might try to convince herself...though when i put on chips to go with it theres alot of under breath muttering in Italian

taxAHcruel

The trick often with things like nutmeg and cloves and other flavors is "Less is more". Often you want to put in barely enough to taste at all. You might even doubt it is even in there sometimes.

The reasons for this in my possible nonsense theory - is that a lot of human taste and smell is not actually just detecting taste and smell - but changes in taste and smell. Which is why you might often become quickly used to a smell. Or - that annoying thing where there is something with a smell in our surrounding and each time you get it and try to focus on what it is and where it is coming from - it is suddenly gone. Then you get it again awhile later. Or when trying to smell something you will see experts not always just plunge their nose into it - but wafting it back and forth under their nose.

So a skill with cooking sometimes is to put just enough of this alternate flavor in something that rather than add that flavor - it is actually accentuating the main flavor of the dish more. Your sense of taste is shifting between the background flavor of this thing and the main flavor of the dish a little more - so it is less prone to simply become used to the main flavor and move on.

The fun is in the experimentation. Try new flavors and trying it in quantities so you can taste them - or lesser quantities so you can not really taste it much at all - and seeing for yourself which works to make you or your audience enjoy the dish more as a whole.

jimgoose

Ah, lasagne - the food of kings. I'd just like to offer the opinion of this Marine, being that Carroll's Cuisine of Tullamore do the best shop-bought lasagne.

HeidiHeidi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120502313#Comment_120502313

It's only to infuse flavour into the milk for the bechamel! They don't actually add "clove flavour" to the food, as such. But I toss all sorts into the milk and bring to the boil, then leave for about half an hour to infuse and strain.

muckwarrior

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120502613#Comment_120502613

Carroll's Lasagne is one of the worst things I've ever eaten. I tried it about 6 years ago now, and I still remember it, it was so bad. You'd find more meat in a bag of spuds.

As far as Supermarket Lasagnes go, the M&S one is pretty good. Also, the Donnybrook Fair ones that Supervalu do can be good, although a bit inconsistent.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120502971#Comment_120502971

I thought the M&S one had gone downhill \ inconsistent since Brexit... and the Supervalu own brand one improved a lot - price went up also though.

HeidiHeidi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120502971#Comment_120502971

I was a big fan of both of these - but having had the experience of a home-made-from-start-to-finish one, I would never go back.

Yes, it's time-consuming, but if I'm making it I make a giant pot of ragu which can go in the freezer in portions to convert to spag bol/lasagne/pasta bake/baked potatoes/whatever, and I get months from it.

I've been drooling since this thread started, but have neither the time nor the freezer space at the moment to do up a batch - but soon, soon.......

Stephen_Maturin

Try it with sweet sausage, in little pieces. And a layer of basil leaves right underneath the cheese

Baba Yaga

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120502613#Comment_120502613

tis indeed the food of kings but that carrolls stuff....? noooooo.....i have tried that and other shop bought lasagne in the past and they just go into a puddle of goo on the plate...

dartboardio

Always homemade from start to finish apart from the pasta itself..

Make a chunky tomatoey bolognaise with usually onions,mushrooms, peppers, beef mince, beef stock, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree or a squeeze of ketchup, plenty of salt,pepper, pinch of basil..

then homemade bechamel sauce with lots of mozzarella added in at the end, plus a pinch of nutmeg, and salt/pepper.. layer it up and into the oven then, served with garlic bread or coleslaw mmmm

Count Dracula

I eat mine with coleslaw and chips.

I like soft Garlic bread to wipe the bowl with at the end.

Chianti goes lovely with it.

And Greta Scacchi.

Seve OB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120497965#Comment_120497965

I think it is way nicer when it is fresh and splodges

have had proper disagreements with a fair few people who swear that lasagne is way nicer the next day when you cut it up and it stays in perfect formation.

it’s not like other foods, stews/curries etc that do tend to be nicer next day, for me lasagne is always at its best when it is freshly made and sloppy out of the oven. But i would probably have cooked it for a good couple of hours between making the racy on the hob and baking the finished product in the oven.

Seve OB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120498187#Comment_120498187

I agree with the Italian. Jars of white sauce are absolutely disgusting. It’s the same sauce in the likes of Caroll’s prepackaged job mentioned earlier and it’s just horrible. Same for jars of ragu 🤮

I was staying with a friend one time and she was making us lasagne, she was about to throw in the jar and I called a halt to the proceedings and showed her how simple it is to throw a knob butter in a pot with a bit of flour and milk (and pretty sure I got the nutmeg from a shop round the corner). I don’t think herself or her husband had ever had anything other than jars of sauce before but they were both converts and amazed at how much nicer it was and how simple it was to make.

I usually use a red (preferred)or white cheddar depending on what’s in the fridge. What cheese do others use? Seen mozzarella mentioned.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120513363#Comment_120513363

Cheddar good god 😅

parmesan and fresh mozzarella are nice.

Strumms

Fallon and Byrnes deli in Exchequer St used to and maybe still have the best and biggest, freshest and most delicious portions of creamy lasagne…….. around 8.50 and you got sides… great value, so tasty.

Baasterd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120494802#Comment_120494802

That would probably be away from the coast and most tourist's won't go there, personally I found the food a bit meh in Sardinia. The food in Italy can be the best and the worst, but with a wee bit of effort you can find amazing food, for me I think it tends to get better the further south you go but maybe that's just because its less foreign tourist orientated. Still has to be one of the best countries in Europe for food, actually no it is the best no contest.

Baba Yaga

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120517568#Comment_120517568

id agree with that a bit...theres a few places i wouldnt be looking for food in allright,most of the costa smeralda(millionaires playground,aga khan and his mates own it)fantastic place for scenery yes but youd want to own a yacht and unlimited funds to eat there! you can find fantastic food around the smaller villages along the coast...fresh as in just out of the water fish grilled over charcoal just on the beach in Bari Sardo so simple and mouth watering just thinking about it...a fantastic lasagna in Baunei(what this thread is about) its a mountain village so maybe a small trek away from the beach...or again fresh fish grilled on charcoal on the beach in Santa Maria Naverrese,thats just 3 good meals off top of my head....or for a bit of adventure try 'agri turisimo' her family do it...it involves a trek up to the family farm in the Gennargentu Mountains,it is a bit of a trek yes but so worth it even just for the scenery...and the food,all i can say is oh my god!!! like any country a person visits for a holiday get away from the tourist traps and explore it,it will for sure be worth while...im drooling here thinking about all that!!!!

HeidiHeidi

It only took over a month, but my Le Creuset casserole is stuffed full of ragu and cooking low and slow in the oven for the afternoon.... cannot wait to try some of the tips from this thread for making up a lasagna when the weather cools down a bit (not really lasagna weather right now!)