Indulgent Cannelloni
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 lb mince beef
2oz pancetta or un-smoked streaky bacon
1 onion skinned and finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato puree
¼ pint of red wine
2 egg yolks
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
8oz ricotta cheese
20z grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
2 pints béchamel sauce
About 20 cannelloni tubes
Béchamel sauce (this makes 2 pints)
2 pints whole milk
2 bay leafs
3 pepper corns
½ stick celery
40z plain flour
Pinch nutmeg
Salt and pepper
Method
Melt the butter in a pan add a couple tablespoons of olive oil add the onion and fry for about five minutes. The onion should be soft but not coloured. Add the pancetta or bacon and cook for another couple of minutes.
Turn up the heat and add the mince beef. Cook until well browned and break down any lumps. Remember you need to stuff the cannelloni tubes with this!
Stir in the tomato puree and red wine. Continue cooking and stirring until most of the liquid has evaporated. Now turn off the heat and set the pan aside to cool for 10-15 minutes.
Mix together the meat, egg yolks, ricotta and nutmeg and 1oz of the parmesan cheese.
Pour just under half of the béchamel sauce into a shallow ovenproof dish. The dish needs to be big enough to take the cannelloni in a single layer.
With a spoon fill the cannelloni tubes with the meat mixture. Lay them in the dish side by side. When all the tubes are filed or like me you run out of space in your dish cover the tubes with the remaining béchamel sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese and if you wish to go completely over the top you could add an ounce or so of ricotta to the top with the parmesan. Bake in the oven at 200°C (400f) for about 20 minutes. It will be a wonderful golden brown on top.
Serve with a crisp green salad.
Wine choice
A Chianti Classico
Béchamel Sauce
Put the milk along with the bay leaves, celery and peppercorns in a saucepan and slowly bring to just below a boil. Turn off the heat and leave to cool for about 10-15 minutes. This allows the milk to be infused with the bay, celery and pepper.
Melt the butter in a separate saucepan. Add the flour and stir to combine with the butter to form a stiff paste and cook on a low heat for about two minutes. Don’t let the paste (roux) brown. Turn off the heat.
Discard the bay, celery and peppercorns from the milk. A little at a time slowly blend the milk with the roux. Ensure each addition of milk if fully blended before adding the next. Keep adding a little at a time and stirring until all the milk is added. If you have any lumps and I’m sure you won’t then pass through a sieve.
Return to the heat and bring slowly to the boil stirring all the time until the sauce thickens. Simmer gently for about two minutes add the nutmeg and check for seasoning.
