Spaghetti bolognese is a popular dish for families across the country, and is often a staple of weeknight dinners. And what’s great about it is that almost every single home cook has their own prefered way of making it.
While a classic Bolognese is strict on what can and cannot be included in the dish for it to be considered a Bolognese, many will simply see these as guidelines and use whatever ingredients they fancy, or already have lauying around in the kitchen.
Just like homecooks, many professional chefs will also have their secret methods and ingredients for making their own version of a Bolognese.
Appearing on This Morning, chef Clodagh McKenna has shared the one ingredient she is now urging all homecooks to add to their Bolognese, or other types of meat stews, as she says it’ll make it taste even better
“Clodagh McKenna reveals the secret ingredient she uses in every stew and bolognese that will take your sauce to the next level!” the progam wrote in the caption of the video, which has since been published to their social media platforms.
In the video, chef Clodagh is seen in the This Morning kitchen making a meat stew, when she started talking about 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 urged viewers, as she added 50g of dark chocolate into her meat stew.
She went on to clarify that despite it might seem like a lot of chocolate, you won’t be able to taste it. Instead, Clodagh went on to explain that the added chocolate will help you taste a smokiness.
“And it gives it this gorgeous, velvety, a lovely velvety texture on it,” she said as she continued to stir in the chocolate.
Adding dark chocolate to a meaty stew isn’t a new concept, but its something that many homecooks might still be vary to try, as it does sound weird to add something many classify as a sweet treat into a savory meal.
But adding a small amount of dark chocolate to bolognese sauce creates a richer, more complex flavor by mellowing the acidity of the tomatoes and adding depth, without making the dish taste like chocolate.
It is best to add a square or a tablespoon of grated dark chocolate about 15 minutes before the sauce finishes cooking, letting it melt into the sauce while you stir it in.
People soon took to the comment section to share their thoughts on the unusual ingredient, as many were left sceptical.
“Absolutely not. For a chilli, yeah feel free. Not for anything she just said,” one person wrote, while someone else said: “Tip: never take cooking advice for a dish unless they come from the country that dish originates from.”
However, not everyone had a negative outlook, as someone else shared: ” 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 shared.
