Sunday, March 24, 2013

Grub up!

The Problem
The latest UK food crisis started back in January, when Tesco own label beefburgers and Findus lasagnes were found to contain horse meat. Since then, countless other ready meals and takeaways processed by leading manufacturers (including supermarket own-label brands) have tested positive for similar levels of contamination ranging from traces of equine DNA to a full-blown meat content of 100% horse. The corporate response has gone into overdrive, with nearly all food manufacturers expressing outrage and sombre apologies, promising further investigations and renewing vows regarding impeccable, trusted sourcing of ingredients. The national response, meanwhile, varied from shock/horror to nonchalance/unsurprised, but the nation largely voted with their wallets; by the end of February, sales of frozen burgers, ready meals and takeaways were down by 60%.

The Solution?
Without wanting to sound like one of those worthy wannabe Nigella types, homemade really does seem to be the way forward for sourcing-aware folk in need of speedy midweek sustenance. As an added bonus, you might be able to save some pennies, too.

The Challenge
So: is it really possible to beat off-the-shelf prices by making your own? Could I make a lasagne (the ready meal that started the rumpus) cheaper than the cheapest off-the-shelf version (Iceland, 500g/1.5k, £1/£3)? Read on...

Ingredients (makes a 3k/10-serving lasagne)
900g minced beef
1 tin tomatoes
1 bottle passata
1 red pepper, sliced
2 carrots, diced
2 onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
375g box of dried pasta sheets
1 pint semi-skimmed milk
4ozs butter
400g cheddar cheese
Handful of grated mozzarella

From the store cupboard: salt and pepper, plain flour, dried oregano, dried thyme, 2 bay leaves, nutmeg. glug of red wine (optional, but we opened the Chianti Classico we intended to eat with dinner anyway and sacrificed a small glass)

Method
Use the first seven ingredients to create a rich meat sauce, seasoned with oregano, thyme, bay leaves and wine (if using); simmer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make a thick cheese sauce seasoned with a grating of nutmeg, saving the mozzarella to sprinkle over the end result before baking. Assemble the lasagne in layers (meat sauce; pasta sheets; meat sauce; pasta sheets; cheese sauce; grated mozzarella) in a suitably sized baking dish. Bake in a hot oven for 35-40 minutes, until golden and bubbling on top.

The Result
With supermarket minced beef averaging at around £5.33 kilo at the time of writing and my preferred meaty matter (organic minced steak, eek!) coming in at almost double that price, the cost of my experiment would, of course, depend on the ingredients I used. For my beefy lasagne base in this instance, I used 900g of top-notch minced beef from Bartlett’s Butchers in Bath (£5.60 a kilo). Everything else on my list brought the total price for a whopping great 3 kilo/10 portion lasagne to just under £12 - only a fraction more than the Iceland version (which by comparison tasted of nothing much at all). For a nutritious vegetarian option, substitute roast vegetables (peppers, courgettes and butternut squash are all good) for the beef and bring the price down by at least 1/3.

The Pros
I knew exactly what ingredients were in my super-tasty, value-for-money supper. It’s a simple recipe and it tasted seriously, properly good. Portions froze well too.

The Cons
Best made on a day off: it took almost an hour to rustle up followed by 40 minutes in the oven, and benefited from being left to cool down and ‘settle’ for a couple of hours after assembling and before baking

The at-home takeaway: fast, fabulous, frugal quick fix food at a fraction of the high street price

• Squidge 500g lean minced beef, a splat of Dijon mustard, salt, pepper and a generous glug of beer together in a big bowl. Shape into patties and fry in a hot pan for four minutes on each side. The result? Four juicy beefburgers for less than £3

• Coat 2 x 75g dab fillets in a dusting of plain flour and fry in hot butter for two minutes each side. Meanwhile, line a white floury bap with a blob of tartare sauce, a squirt of tomato ketchup and a lettuce leaf, and you’ve got yourself a luscious fish ‘burger’ for less than £2

• Scrunch 400g lamb mince with 1tsp garam masala, 25g shelled, chopped pistachios and a drizzle of honey. Shape into ‘sausages’, grill or fry for around 8 minutes and stuff into pitta parcels with salad - that’s  4 x lamb kofta kebabs ready to go for approx. £6

• Make a dough with one and a half mugs of self raising flour, half a mug of warm water, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Tip onto a floured surface, knead lightly to combine and roll into a 1cm thick circle of a suitable size to transfer to a hot, oiled frying pan. Cook on the hob for around four minutes until base crisps up. Meanwhile, heat the grill to a hot setting, and blend half a tin of chopped tomatoes with chopped garlic, torn basil leaves and a pinch of sugar. Spread tomato mixture over dough base and top with mozzarella, olives, parmesan cheese and whatever else takes your fancy (anchovies, salami and Parma ham all work well). Place under hot grill (not too close to heat source!) for around five minutes until cheese is bubbling and the edges of the dough turning crispy, et voila: cheats pizza, pronto, for around a pound (depending on how lavish your choice of toppings).

• Mix 400g minced pork with approx. 40g breadcrumbs, 1tsp chopped sage, salt, pepper, a glug of vegetable oil and around 2tbs water together in a bowl. Unroll 1 x 320g sheet of ready made puff pastry and fill with the pork mixture to create four large sausage rolls or eight small ones. Bake in a hot oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown - total cost: approx. £4.20 for the whole batch.

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