Hungarian Goulash
This is another recipe that has been re-invented by every new cook that has ever worked in our Café, and is none the worse for that. The current style has been modified for home consumption and makes for a good solid winter warmer. The only Hungarian who worked at Eighth Day was nonplussed by the suggestion that her countrywomen spent their time stuffing huge platefuls of this down themselves, mind you she denied the existence of goulash as a national dish. Never ones to let the truth stand in the way of a good story however, this dish is a regular on our menu.
Ingredients
4 Large Potatoes (Sweet Potatoes are nice if you can get them)
1 Large Green Pepper
4 oz Mushrooms
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Onion
1 Large Tin Tomatoes
1 Tablespoon Hungarian Paprika (not Spanish paprika, it is not strong enough)
1 Tablespoon Tomato Pureé
1 Desert spoon Red Grape Juice
1 Tablespoon Sunflower Oil
Good pinch of Salt & Pepper
Method
- First of all put on your oven to pre-heat to gas mark 6 to 7
- Peel and then finely chop the onion, put the sunflower oil in a heavy bottomed casserole dish and heat on a medium light adding the onion when hot. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Whilst the onion is cooking peel and crush the garlic and add to the pan.
- Either blend the tinned tomatoes, with their juice, or chop them as small as you can. Add to the pan along with the tomato puree, paprika, juice, salt & pepper.
- Wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth or piece of kitchen towel, if large cut into mouth size pieces, and add.
- Scrub the potatoes, peel if not organic, and chop into large pieces. Add the potato to the casserole dish, mix well, adding a little water if it is too thick. It needs to be a fairly runny mixture at this stage as it will thicken during the cooking. Cover the casserole and put it in the Pre-heated oven. Cook for about 1 hour until the potatoes are well done.
- If you want to spoil yourself add a glass of red wine instead of the grape juice. It is possible to extend the cooking time by several hours if you keep the oven temperature down to gas mark 3 or 4 or 100 °C. Alternatively if you boil the potatoes separately until done you can either finish it on top of the stove, or for only 30 minutes in the oven, or 10 minutes in the microwave on full power.