Hungarian Goulash, as cooked by Cindy
from "Russian, Polish, and German Cooking"
Contributing editor: Lesley Chamberlain
Recipe authors: Catherine Atkinson + Trish Davies
Published by Hermes House, Anness Publishing Ltd., 1999, 2003
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
2 lbs stewing steak, trimmed and cubed -> we used "bottom round"
1 garlic clove, crushed -> we used minced garlic
generous pinch of caraway seeds -> omitted b/c they are evil
2 tbsp paprika -> I used ~1 1/2 tbsp b/c it's potent stuff
1 firm ripe tomato, chopped
10 cups beef stock -> I used 6 cups b/c that's a lot of beef stock + my pan couldn't hold it all. And I like "stew" better than "soup."
2 green peppers, seeded and sliced
1 lb. potatoes, diced -> I used ~2 1/2 large potatoes
salt
For dumplings:
2 eggs, beaten
6 tbsp flour, sifted -> more like 10-12 tbsp
1) Heat oil in large pan, add onion and cook until soft
2) Add beef cubes to pan and cook for 10 minutes, browning gently, stirring frequently to prevent the meat from sticking.
3) Add garlic, caraway seeds and a little salt to pan. Remove from heat and stir in paprika and tomato. Pour in beef stock and cook, covered, over gentle heat for 1 - 1 1/2 hours, or until tender.
4) Add peppers and potatoes to pan and cook for a further 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5) Meanwhile make the dumplings by mixing the beaten eggs together with the flour and a little salt. With lightly floured hands roll out the dumplings and drop them into the simmering stew for about 2-3 minutes or until they rise to the surface of the stew.
CINDY SAYS: Take dicing time into consideration when planning this dish (and Sarah's pumpkin Argentinean stew). We got home from the grocery store at 3pm and immediately started cutting and dicing things. (Remember to store diced potatoes under water until using them.) We finished that at about 4:45 and immediately started cooking. Hopefully we will be done by 7 pm. [close! -Lynda] When dicing, we used the "would you put this in your mouth?" guide to size. It was amusing. However, anyone who shows us objects and asks if we will put them in our mouths will suffer the wrath of a very dull melon baller. Also, when chopping with large knives, using the phrase "pet, pet, curse" frequently will add much ambience to the experience. Can you tell we were in an odd mood?
LYNDA SAYS: Quite tasty! Too heavy on the green pepper for Michael's liking, but then, nearly any amount of green pepper makes him sigh heavily and refuse the dish. I liked the flavor and enjoyed the dumplings, which were a nice contrast to the texture of the stew itself.