A This Morning chef has shared the one ingredient she always adds to her bolognese, and other meat stews, as she claims it will make it taste richer and more flavoursome
Spaghetti Bolognese remains a beloved dish for families nationwide, frequently serving as a go-to option for weeknight meals. What makes it particularly appealing is that virtually every home chef has developed their own preferred method for preparing it.
Whilst an authentic Bolognese follows strict rules about which ingredients can be included for it to qualify as genuine Bolognese, many cooks simply treat these as suggestions and incorporate whatever ingredients they fancy, or happen to have lying about in the cupboard. Similar to domestic cooks, numerous professional chefs possess their own secret techniques and components for crafting their personal take on Bolognese.
During an appearance on This Morning, chef Clodagh McKenna revealed the single ingredient she’s now encouraging all home cooks to incorporate into their Bolognese, or other varieties of meat casseroles, claiming it will enhance the flavour considerably.
“Clodagh McKenna reveals the secret ingredient she uses in every stew and Bolognese that will take your sauce to the next level!” the programme captioned the clip, which has subsequently been shared across their social media channels.
In the footage, chef Clodagh can be seen in the This Morning kitchen preparing a meat casserole, when she began discussing her secret ingredient.
“Everybody watching, take note. If you’re ever, ever cooking a beef stew, or a Bolognese, or a ragu, add in dark chocolate,” she advised viewers, whilst incorporating 50g of dark chocolate into her meat dish.
She continued to clarify that whilst it might appear to be a considerable amount of chocolate, you won’t actually be able to detect its flavour. Instead, Clodagh proceeded to explain that the incorporated chocolate will help you experience a smoky taste.
“And it gives it this gorgeous, velvety, a lovely velvety texture on it,” she remarked whilst continuing to mix in the chocolate.
Incorporating dark chocolate into a meat-based stew isn’t a novel idea, but it’s something that numerous home cooks might still be hesitant to attempt, as it does sound peculiar to add something many categorise as a sweet indulgence into a savoury dish.
However, including a modest quantity of dark chocolate in Bolognese sauce produces a deeper, more sophisticated flavour by softening the sharpness of the tomatoes and introducing complexity, without making the meal taste chocolatey.
It’s recommended to incorporate a square or a tablespoon of grated dark chocolate approximately 15 minutes before the sauce completes cooking, allowing it to dissolve into the sauce whilst stirring it through.
People quickly flocked to the comments section to express their views on the unconventional ingredient, with many remaining doubtful.
“Absolutely not. For a chilli, yeah feel free. Not for anything she just said,” one individual commented, whilst another remarked: “Tip: never take cooking advice for a dish unless they come from the country that dish originates from.”
Nevertheless, not everyone held a pessimistic view, as someone else revealed: ” I’ve been adding it to my chili for years, it’s amazing.
“I put dark chocolate into my lasagna mince! It’s honestly a game changer! Everyone raves about my lasagna,” another user revealed.
