Granny’s Goulash from Wojtek’s Bistro
“I just loved dipping thick slices of sourdough bread into this rich, saucy goulash as soon as Grandma took it off the stove, still bubbling away in the casserole dish. Back home, Mum always served it with pearl barley and a pickled cucumber on the side. These days in London, I’ve dressed it up with some smoky spices, and when serving, I alternate between crusty baguette, creamy mash or my favourite thick ribbon noodles.” Wojtek van Portek, author of Wojtek’s Bistro
Serves 4-6
500g (1lb 2oz) chuck steak, cut into small cubes
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2–3 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 onion, halved and sliced
4 bay leaves
6 allspice berries
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon smoked salt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon tomato purée
500ml (18fl oz) vegetable or beef stock, or more as needed or desired
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
250g (9oz) mushrooms, thickly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 small red pepper, cored, deseeded and sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped chives, to garnish
Season the meat with the garlic salt. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan over a high heat, add the meat and sear until browned but not cooked through.
Stir in the onion, bay leaves and allspice berries. Reduce the heat, cover the pan with a lid and cook for about 5 minutes until the onion softens.
Stir in the flour, sweet paprika, smoked paprika and smoked salt and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Then add the mustard, tomato purée and stock and stir until well blended. Re-cover and simmer very gently for 1 hour. Check to ensure the liquid does not evaporate and top up if necessary with more stock or water.
Add the carrot, mushrooms, garlic and red pepper and stir to mix. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, then cover again and simmer for another 20–30 minutes until the meat is tender and the vegetables are cooked.
Taste for seasoning and serve hot, sprinkled with chopped chives to garnish.
