Chef Mik's Pasta Bolognese... with Chicken

Bolognese is basically a sort of beef stew in this case a ragu referring to meat and vegetables browned first then stewed together, Bolognese is typically served with pasta and has been around for centuries though it’s only recently the tomato component was added after Spaniards brought it back with them from the new world along with potatoes, chilies, beans and a whole host of other ingredients we take for granite now in today’s kitchen, Bolognese tends to very from place to place, In Italy for example its quite common to add pancetta, a dairy component most often reduced milk or cream less spice and garlic then outside Italy it is then served tossed with a flatter heavier pasta, In Sweden were I learned to make it, if possible we would save left over red wine sauce and use that in our Bolognese, together of course with the ground meat, tomatoes, garlic, and spice served more often then not with Spaghetti, while here in the states I have seen it prepared with sauce Marinara and the addition or substitution of sausage, served over penny pasta

The pasta is as important an element to consider in this dish as the stew itself, contrary to popular belief pasta was known through out the Mediterranean before it became popular among the Romans, fresh pasta in Italy traces its roots to written documents form the 1300’s in the Northern port town of Genoa and dried to Sicily as early as the 12^th, its also interesting to note that dried pasta was unknown in China by all accounts at the time Marco polo landed there, for Italians of more modern times the sort of pasta used has become part and parcel of the dish it accompanies and with that in mind, today I am preparing this Bolognese with a few simple modifiers, barrowing from those classics and adding my own take on the dish the hope is to create my own special version, for example I will be substituting ground chicken for the beef, adding homemade sausage, both dried and fresh herbs, white wine but no dairy, served with flat egg based pasta

Shopping list

Ground chicken, dark meat only, best if you can grind your own

Chicken sausage, sweet Italian is good, homemade is even better

Onion

Carrots

Celery
Garlic

Parsley

Fresh or canned tomatoes, diced

Tomato purée

Chicken broth, stock, demi glace, base or bullion

White wine

Dried herbs: your favorite store bought, home made, or ours listed below

My Mad Method

450g ground chicken, dark (thigh) meat

Prep 250 sweet chicken Italian sausages

Thick ground chicken, chicken fat, sweet red bell peppers, garlic, fennel, sweet paprika powder

Dice 200g onion

Dice 125g celery

Dice 125g carrots

8g total dried herb blend: Italian oregano, Mexican oregano, thyme, marjoram, cayenne pepper (optional)

Start by sautéing the onion, celery and carrots in olive oil or rendered pancetta fat

When the vegetable are sautéed add 2 garlic cloves minced, sauté for 1 or 2 minutes longer then transfer to soup pot

Wipe the pan clean, then working in batches brown the meat and sausage, when ready transfer to soup pot

Deglaze the pan with a couple dl’s white wine

While you are deglazing the pan heat the meat and the vegetables together with the spice mix

Add the white wine to the pot along with 750g diced tomatoes, 2dl tomato purée, and 1TBSP tomato paste, chicken demi glace (you can make your own and freeze them in ice trays)

Bring to boil, add 2 bay leaves turn down the temperature and simmer for 2 hours

After 2 hours adjust seasonings with salt and pepper to taste add fresh parsley mix to combine, toss with pasta

Ready to serve!!

Ready to serve!!