There’s no denying that this recipe involves a bit of fiddle-faddling, but so soothing is the process, so welcoming and enveloping the savoury smells emanating from stove and oven as it cooks, so ambrosial the taste, so universally rewarding the experience, that the labour involved can be embraced gladly.
1 onion (peeled and quartered)
1 carrot (peeled and halved)
1 stick celery (halved)
1 small clove garlic (peeled)
1 handful fresh parsley
75 grams rindless streaky bacon
4 anchovy fillets (optional)
50 grams unsalted butter plus 1 tablespoon extra
½ teaspoon regular olive oil
250 grams minced beef
80 millilitres marsala
1 x 400 grams can chopped tomatoes
1 x 15ml tablespoon tomato puree
2 x 15ml tablespoons full fat milk
2 litres beef stock
2 bay leaves
500 grams risotto rice
6 x 15ml tablespoons grated parmesan plus extra to serve
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2. Put the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, parsley, bacon and anchovy into a processor and whiz to a fine mush.
Heat the 50g / 3 tablespoons butter and 1/2 teaspoon oil in a deep, heavy ovenproof casserole with a lid. Tip in the contents of the processor and cook for about 5 minutes until softened.
Add the meat and let it brown a little, breaking it up in the pan, then add the marsala. Process the tomatoes until smooth, and add to the meat.
Stir the tomato puree into the milk and then add this mixture to the pan, along with 500ml / 2 cups beef stock and the bay leaves.
Bring to the boil on the hob, then clamp on the lid and transfer the casserole to the oven for 1 hour.
Once the meat sauce is out of the oven, fish out the bay leaves. Heat the remaining 1.5 litres veal stock in another saucepan and keep that warm over a very low heat, then put the meat sauce on a low heat next to it.
Stir the rice into the meat sauce, and then add a ladleful of the hot stock. Stir until the rice and sauce become thick again and then add another hot ladleful of stock.
Continue to add the stock as needed, though only a small ladleful at a time, stirring all the time as you go. Check to see if the rice is cooked after about 18 minutes - you may not need all the stock before this happens.
When it's ready, turn off the heat and stir or beat in, with your wooden spoon, the cheese and the extra tablespoon of butter before seasoning to taste and doling out into shallow warmed bowls. Serve with extra Parmesan, if you like.