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2013 Cooking Club Week 32: Classic Lasagne

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Comments

  • #32
    Mrs Fox
    Registered Users Posts: 2,292 ✭✭✭Mrs Fox


    Mr Simpson wrote: »
    Maybe substitute courgette for the pasta? Sliced, roasted in the oven for about 10 mins then layer instead of pasta.

    And slices of roasted aubergines too... ooooh I can actually taste this in my mouth now...


  • #33
    Mr Simpson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,332 ✭✭✭Mr Simpson


    Mrs Fox wrote: »
    And slices of roasted aubergines too... ooooh I can actually taste this in my mouth now...

    It was going to be my cooking club recipe this week..... :p


  • #34
    Minder
    Registered Users Posts: 2,774 ✭✭✭Minder


    Sweeper - looks delicious. I salute your use of the liver in the ragu. Meatastic!


  • #35
    hdowney
    Registered Users Posts: 12,921 ✭✭✭✭hdowney


    What is meant by raw sugar?


  • #36
    The Sweeper
    Registered Users Posts: 10,658 ✭✭✭✭The Sweeper


    Granulated cane sugar, minimally processed. Has a honey-sweet flavour. Good for most things. Sugarcane is pressed and mixed with lime, the ensuing liquid is evaporated and crystalises and those crystals are then spun to produce evenly sized sugar granules. It's a golden colour due to the remaining presence of molasses (which is what affects the flavour). I have a personal preference for raw sugar over white sugar in any food where the colour doesn't affect the finished product because I prefer the flavour.

    White sugar is further processed by the use of sulphur dioxide to bleach the granules, and then other chemicals are used to remove impurities and then the whole thing is filtered to remove the molasses.

    It's like the difference between using sea salt flakes and using processed free-flowing iodised table salt. Yes you can use white sugar if it's what you have.


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  • #37
    hdowney
    Registered Users Posts: 12,921 ✭✭✭✭hdowney


    Cool thanks. Just wasn't sure. Off to buy Cane Sugar so (and the ten billion other ingredients!! :P)


  • #38
    oscarBravo
    Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 28,791 Mod ✭✭✭✭oscarBravo


    I made this last night - had to improvise some ingredients, as I can't get veal or chicken liver for love nor money round these here parts. Daamn, but that's a tasty lasagne! I feel I've learned some new cooking foo as well, so cheers for that.

    Also: the electricity went off with ten minutes to go in the oven. As timing goes, it could have been much, much worse.


  • #39
    TheKBizzle
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 494 Mod ✭✭✭✭TheKBizzle


    Made this tonight, amazing


  • #40
    stmol32
    Registered Users Posts: 718 ✭✭✭stmol32


    The Sweeper wrote: »
    If you need to split a lasagne sheet sideways, score it gently with a knife and snap it over the edge of your benchtop, ....

    This has literally changed my life, thanks


  • #41
    Muahahaha
    Registered Users Posts: 19,609 ✭✭✭✭Muahahaha


    @TheSweeper this recipe looks superb, I was on the lookout for a go-to recipe for lasagna and this looks to me like it=) I'm defo going to try it as soon as I've invested in a decent casserole dish when the Xmas sales kick off. Just out of interest, do you know approx how many portions you get out of the lasagna dish you use ? Also what I'd love to do is spend some time making this in bulk but then constructing it in smaller lasagna dishes for freezing and then for cooking out of the freezer further down the line. I don't suppose you're aware of a type of dish that was just big enough for constructing two portions? I'm mainly only cooking for two people or one so such a dish would be really handy to do them in.


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  • #42
    squonk
    Registered Users Posts: 8,427 ✭✭✭squonk


    Could you use those foil takeaway dishes? You'd probably get two reasonable sized portions in one of the rectangular dishses. Lasagne is quite rich and you don't need a lot of it.


  • #43
    Cheshire Cat
    Registered Users Posts: 2,276 ✭✭✭Cheshire Cat


    squonk wrote: »
    Could you use those foil takeaway dishes? You'd probably get two reasonable sized portions in one of the rectangular dishses. Lasagne is quite rich and you don't need a lot of it.

    I do that, I double up and freeze one lasagne. Either in one big container or in several small ones. It works well. You can get various sizes in Mr. Price, Dealz and similar shops.


  • #44
    Dubl07
    Registered Users Posts: 1,801 ✭✭✭Dubl07


    squonk wrote: »
    Could you use those foil takeaway dishes? You'd probably get two reasonable sized portions in one of the rectangular dishses. Lasagne is quite rich and you don't need a lot of it.

    31J0usct85L.jpg
    is what I use when batch-cooking for the freezer and holds two reasonable portions. If someone's a big eater, a bit of garlic bread will pad it out, and some peppery green salad is a great side-dish.


  • #45
    Muahahaha
    Registered Users Posts: 19,609 ✭✭✭✭Muahahaha


    I'm finally gonna make this over the weekend. Does anyone know if bocconcini balls are available in typical supermarkets or is it a speciality shop I need? Also is there a good substitute if I can't find them?


  • #46
    Mrs Fox
    Registered Users Posts: 2,292 ✭✭✭Mrs Fox


    Muahahaha wrote: »
    I'm finally gonna make this over the weekend. Does anyone know if bocconcini balls are available in typical supermarkets or is it a speciality shop I need? Also is there a good substitute if I can't find them?


    I used mozarella, worked the same for me.


  • #47
    GoodBridge
    Closed Accounts Posts: 201 ✭✭GoodBridge


    I make lasagna fairly regularly and I've tried a good few recipes so saw this and saved it to give it a go. However, I just did a double take there when I saw the ingredient list say one whole nutmeg. That's hella lot a nutmeg. Maybe I'm just very sensitive to it but I've made the mistake before of adding a little too much nutmeg to potato dauphinoise where a pinch was called for and I added probably about 3 pinches altogether as I was grating directly into the sauce and got a bit carried away. Frankly it completely overpowered everything else on the plate. Went away with the aftertaste of nutmeg. It wasn't just me - mrs agreed it was 'a little too strong' (but she was being polite).

    Did anyone else who made this find the nutmeg too much or is it just one of those things where it actually works despite thinking it might not - a bit like 40 garlic clove chicken.

    I mean no disrespect OP, I'm sure the recipe is exactly how you like it and it sounds amazing. As I said, maybe I'm just a bit sensitive to it and don't want to bin an entire lasagna!


  • #48
    Mrs Fox
    Registered Users Posts: 2,292 ✭✭✭Mrs Fox


    GoodBridge wrote: »
    I make lasagna fairly regularly and I've tried a good few recipes so saw this and saved it to give it a go. However, I just did a double take there when I saw the ingredient list say one whole nutmeg. That's hella lot a nutmeg. Maybe I'm just very sensitive to it but I've made tyt?he mistake before of adding a little too much nutmeg to potato dauphinoise where a pinch was called for and I added probably about 3 pinches altogether as I was grating directly into the sauce and got a bit carried away. Frankly it completely overpowered everything else on the plate. Went away with the aftertaste of nutmeg. It wasn't just me - mrs agreed it was 'a little too strong' (but she was being polite).

    Did anyone else who made this find the nutmeg too much or is it just one of those things where it actually works despite thinking it might not - a bit like 40 garlic clove chicken.

    I mean no disrespect OP, I'm sure the recipe is exactly how you like it and it sounds amazing. As I said, maybe I'm just a bit sensitive to it and don't want to bin an entire lasagna!

    I've made this several times and I didn't find it overpowering of nutmeg at all. Or perhaps that I just love nutmeg :) After all, it is half in white sauce and half in meat sauce, so the one in latter just mellows with other flavours.
    In fairness when you freshly grate a whole nutmeg you can only grate so much before your fingers catch the grater. There's always a tiny bit left it's chucked out.


  • #49
    Muahahaha
    Registered Users Posts: 19,609 ✭✭✭✭Muahahaha


    my kitchen is currently full of the waft from the ragu sauce on a slow cook, smells delish, thanks again OP


  • #50
    GoodBridge
    Closed Accounts Posts: 201 ✭✭GoodBridge


    Made the ragu yesterday and went with the half nutmeg. It did mellow out nicely :)

    The chicken livers were a new one for me too. Think they bring an extra layer of flavour. It's top-notch ragu.


  • #51
    omri
    Registered Users Posts: 1,670 ✭✭✭omri


    OP whats the size of your caserole dish ? I have one but after adding the braised meat it was filled all the way to the top and would have no more room for passata and rest of the ingredients. Had to move it to my baking tray..


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  • #52
    MissFlitworth
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,057 ✭✭✭MissFlitworth


    The Sweeper wrote: »
    My Mario Batali dish is 34cm long, 24cm wide and 8cm deep (a little bigger than 13 inches long x 9 inches wide and 3 inches deep).

    :)


  • #53
    omri
    Registered Users Posts: 1,670 ✭✭✭omri


    Thanks MissFlitworth - however I meant the dish that the ragu is cooked in. I have le creuset casserole but this is way too small for the quantities from the recipe.


  • #54
    Mrs Fox
    Registered Users Posts: 2,292 ✭✭✭Mrs Fox


    omri wrote: »
    Thanks MissFlitworth - however I meant the dish that the ragu is cooked in. I have le creuset casserole but this is way too small for the quantities from the recipe.

    I cooked ragu in 24" le creuset, and it was just above half way up.


  • #55
    MissFlitworth
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,057 ✭✭✭MissFlitworth


    omri wrote: »
    Thanks MissFlitworth - however I meant the dish that the ragu is cooked in. I have le creuset casserole but this is way too small for the quantities from the recipe.

    Ahhh, that's what I get for smug 'look! look! I found it!' quoting :D


  • #56
    Sparks
    Registered Users Posts: 40,055 ✭✭✭✭Sparks


    I loved that reduction of the sauce in the oven, I hadn't thought to do it that way myself (I just kept my dutch oven on the hob and the results can be hit-and-miss sometimes). Next time I'm doing it your way. But a sauce that good and instant pasta? Noooooo. I'll break out the pasta machine and make some by hand, it'd be disrespectful otherwise :D (Also, I tried doing the "thousand layer lasagna" thing a while ago and finally managed to find a 4" deep lasagna dish after much searching - once you've gotten a deep lasanga dish, there really is no going back, it makes that much of a difference :) )


  • #57
    limnam
    Registered Users Posts: 9,152 ✭✭✭limnam


    April O Neill wrote: »
    Can you use the ragu sauce in any other ways? I don't like pasta. I've really tried to like it, but I just don't. :p

    You could use crepes instead and make crepe lasagne and maintain the dry ragu from the OP


  • #58
    Teeley
    Registered Users Posts: 140 ✭✭Teeley


    Made this for a lunch party today..absolutely delicious! Went down a treat with everyone. Worth all the effort!..made ragu yesterday and assembled lasagne today. We didn't use veal or chicken livers..not sure if they could add to the flavour of the dish but will add them the next time..because there will definitely be a next time!! Thanks for the great recipe..highly recommend to everyone!


  • #59
    hdowney
    Registered Users Posts: 12,921 ✭✭✭✭hdowney


    I am currently re-writing out this recipe (my original one faded!!) as I am making this again tomorrow (turned out fantabulous the first time) and sharing with SO MANY PEOPLES!!!!


  • #60
    eeepaulo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,271 ✭✭✭eeepaulo


    Made this a few weeks ago, absolutely marvellous, leftovers lovely out of the freezer as well, going to make it again this weekend, I dont suppose anyone downloaded the images when it was first posted, i sometimes do it for recipes i keep, the ragu thickness ones would be really handy to look at.


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  • #61
    Muahahaha
    Registered Users Posts: 19,609 ✭✭✭✭Muahahaha


    I make it a few times a year, its a fair bit of work but well worth it as its a great recipe. Dont have the pictures but the timings for the ragu are spot on, I stir it a couple of times during cooking and then check it at 2.5 hours but it normally takes about 3 hours or slightly over it to soak up all the wet ingredients.


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