A Michelin-starred chef has unveiled a surprisingly simple ingredient that promises to elevate your spaghetti bolognese from a humble midweek staple to a restaurant-quality dish with a perfectly smooth and rich texture.
The Secret Ingredient for a Silky Sauce
Paul Foster, the celebrated chef behind the Michelin-starred restaurant Salt in Stratford-upon-Avon, has shared his professional secret: adding milk to the bolognese. He first demonstrated this technique in a social media video earlier this year, and his advice has since gained significant traction and support from fellow culinary experts.
Mimi Morley, Senior Recipe Development Manager at HelloFresh, strongly endorses the method. She explained that while it might sound unusual, adding milk is a transformative trick. "Milk softens the acidity of the tomatoes and helps tenderise the meat as it cooks," Morley stated. She cautioned against using cream as an alternative, noting that it can coat the sauce and prevent the deeper flavours from developing properly.
Why Milk Works Better Than Cream
The science behind this chef's hack is straightforward. The milk performs a dual function in the sauce. Firstly, its fat content contributes to a richer, more rounded flavour profile, countering the sharpness of the tinned tomatoes. Secondly, the enzymes and lactic acid in the milk work to break down the proteins in the minced meat, resulting in a more tender and succulent texture throughout the sauce.
This creates the 'velvety' and luxurious mouthfeel that chef Foster advocates for, a significant upgrade from a standard, sometimes grainy, bolognese.
Additional Pro Tips for the Perfect Bolognese
Beyond the milk revelation, Mimi Morley offered two further pieces of advice for creating an exceptional bolognese. Her first tip is to embrace patience. "Letting it simmer gently for around three hours really does make all the difference," she advised. "The longer it cooks, the richer and glossier it becomes."
Her second suggestion is more unconventional but equally effective. "Try stirring in half a teaspoon of soy sauce while it simmers," Morley recommended. "It sounds unconventional, but it gives your Bolognese a richer, meatier flavour without tasting like soy sauce." This works by enhancing the umami depth of the dish.
With these expert tips from Paul Foster and Mimi Morley, home cooks across the UK now have the know-how to create a truly spectacular and velvety spaghetti bolognese.
