How to make a quick red wine reduction

On cooking programs you can not go five minutes without hearing about red wine reductions, but how do you go about making such a sauce to drizzle over a lovely piece of lamb or duck for example?

Well, to be honest, I am not sure, but the following suggestion creates a fabulous red wine sauce, which doesn't take an age.

Ingredients

Half a bottle of a full bodied red wine
Half a small onion
One carrot, chopped roughly.
Meet flavour, preferable from a meat juices, or alternatively use a rich stock or gravy powder (adjust according to taste.
A sprig of sage
150ml water
1 tbsp red currant jelly

Method

1. In a saucepan heat the wine, onion and carrot and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes so that it has started to reduce and thicken.
2. If cooking meat use the pan to generate some rich meat flavours, which will make the sauce taste amazing. Heat the pan and then deglaze with the water and bubble away for a few minutes.
3. Add the wine reduction, a pinch of salt and the sage and simmer for at least five minutes, but longer if you want the reduction to be thicker.
4. Take off the heat and stir in and melt the red currant jelly.

Strain with a sieve and serve over lamb chops of duck breasts for a sweet, rich sauce that will wow your diners.

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Quick and easy beef lasagna

This lasagna is simple, but very tasty. It can be put together in under 30 minutes and could easily feed a family of four.

Ingredients:

800g of minced beef

1 onion

2 cloves of garlic

2 medium tomatoes

1tbs of tomato puree

50ml of red wine

75ml of milk

a few drops of worcester sauce

a handful of chopped basil, rosemary and oregano

1 tsp of cinnamon powder

freshly cracked pepper

salt

250g of ricotta

4 sheets of uncooked lasagna

Olive oil

Cheese sauce

50g of butter

plain flour

300ml of milk

150g of grated cheddar

2tsp of paprika

Method

For the mince, fry the chopped onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Separately fry the mince in batches until browned. Once complete add to the onions and under a low heat add the two chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, herbs, cinnamon, worcester sauce, pepper and salt (optional). Stir regularly for 10 minutes before adding the wine and milk. Stir thoroughly and cook for give more minutes. Leave to cool while preparing the cheese sauce.

Melt the butter in a small sauce pan taking care not to burn the butter. Take it off the heat and stir in the flour until it becomes a thick paste. Add the milk and return to a medium heat. Stirring regularly until the sauce starts to thicken. Take off the heat again and add the grated cheese and paprika. 

Using a 6 inch squared ovenproof bowl place half of the beef mix on the bottom, followed by half of the ricotta placed roughly on top of the mince. Place two sheets of lasagna on top - overlapping if necessary. Now repeat the step with the remaining beef, ricotta and lasagna sheets. Finally pour over the thick cheese sauce and once cool grate some additional cheddar on top.

This can be prepared in advance of cooking in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees for thirty minutes - longer if coming from the fridge or freezer.

Serve with green vegetables and enjoy.

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