The national dish of Hungary, goulash lies somewhere between a soup and a stew, and reminds me of the Moroccan lamb dish, harira. But don’t get me wrong. Goulash has no identity crisis. It knows exactly what it is: a hearty, comforting staple with more than a hint of warming, spicy paprika and caraway, the latter being a flavour that goes hand in hand with cold climates and a dark ale!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 red onions chopped
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 2 green bullhorn chillies seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) beef shin cut into 4 cm (1½ inch) chunks
- 4 tablespoons sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 14 oz (400 g) tin chopped tomatoes
- sour cream and chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley to serve
How to Make It
- Heat the butter in a flameproof heavy-based casserole dish over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and chilli and cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring often, until the onion has softened.
- Add the beef, mixing the onion through. Stir in the paprika and caraway seeds to thickly coat the meat in the aromatic spices. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until the meat is browning nicely. Season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Stir the tomatoes through and add about 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) water, stirring to remove any bits stuck to the bottom of the dish. Bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 1½ hours, stirring only every now and then. Serve dolloped with sour cream and garnished with parsley.
