This is my own recipe for making a goulash, strongly influenced by the rich variety of Spanish stewed dishes to which I'm used.
Traditional Hungarian goulash uses much hot paprika to my taste. Being influenced by the Spanish style of cuisine, I am used to serve hot spices as enhancers of flavours as I am of the opinion that strong hot spicy foods anaesthetize the palate impeding the taste of flavours. You may use different measures, or use only hot paprika to better suit your own palate.
To this end, I use mixed measures of both hot and sweet paprika. More to the point, I use the Spanish own paprikas known as
pimentón:
pimentón picante (hot paprika) and
pimentón dulce (sweet paprika). The variety of sweet
pimentón I use is one known as from the area of La Vera, of an outstanding quality flavour.
Ingredients (serves 4)- vegetables: 3-4 carrots, 1 Spanish red pepper, 2 onions
- meat: 500gr to 750gr of veal (shank, chuck roll, or whatever parts are used for stews in your country, with no bone)
- 3-4 tomatoes. I use cluster tomatoes, but if they are not available plum tomatoes may be used instead. There is a new tomato variety called kumato, which has an unsual taste and which I think that it would be interesting to use for this particular dish (though it is possible that you need to use 5-6 kumatos)
- wheat flour
- olive oil
- one glass of red wine
- one tea-spoon of hot and one tea-spoon of sweet pimentón or paprika
- salt
The stew is acompanied by a simple boiled rice, which I cook in the classic Spanish style and for which you'll need:
- 4 generous coffee cups of rice
- 3 or 4 bay leaves
- 3-4 garlic cloves
- olive oil
- salt
Preparation
Cut the veal in thick dices and deep them in a plate with the wheat flour.
Peel the carrots and cut them in thick slices. Cut the red pepper in half and remove all seeds and non red parts. Then cut it in slices leaving the peel intact. Cut the onions in thick slices.
Peel the tomatoes and cut them in half to remove all whitey parts. Then chop them. Sprinkle a few pinches of salt over them.
In a hot fry-pan or casserole, pour the olive oil, put on a medium heat and fry the meat to golden-brown. Remove the meat and reserve it and, with the same oil, fry the vegetables to golden.
It is advisable to start frying first the carrot and the red pepper, and wait for about one or two minutes to add the onions.
When the onions reach a slight golden colour and the carrots and pepper slices have tendered a little (you may cover it with a lid, to add some boiling effect for tenderness), add the veal chunks again and stir mix for a few minutes. Put on a low heat. Now sprinkle the
pimentón or paprika, stirring to mix it well. Sprinkle the salt to taste. It is better to go short on salt as you may correct the salt later.
Notice that the pimentón burns quickly, so you shouldn't entertain yourself much before adding the elements for the sauce (chopped tomatoes and wine).
Next, add the chopped tomatoes and stir to mix a little, until it is sizzling again.
Pour in the glass of red wine, slowly to avoid "breaking the heat". Stir until the tomato and wine mixture turns into a brownish sauce. Taste it and correct of salt if needed.
Keep it on a low heat until the sauce thickens.
Rice preparation
While cooking the goulash stew, pour a little olive oil in a casserole or sauce-pan. Peel first the garlic cloves and cut then in fairly thick slices. Put them in the pan until they are slight golden. Garlic burns quick, so you should make the slices fairly thick and remove from heat when you notice that they are starting to get a golden colour. Then add the rice and mix with the garlic and oil while still hot. Put again on the [low heat] fire.
Next pour the water, which should be warm to hot. never cold or tepid. Add the bay leaves and sprinkle some salt. Boil on low to medium heat until the water has evapourized.
Some tips for boiled rice
The measures of rice are of a one generous coffee cup (not the smaller espresso cups) per person.
The boiling time is until the water has evapourized completely, and the grain is tender (but not mellow and sticky).
Use two coffee cup measures of water for each measure of rice, then add half to one extra cup of water. Make sure that the water is warm to hot.
DO NOT stir the rice once the water has started to evapourize to the rice level. Some people seem to think that stirring gives them a flair of great chefs. If you see one of those people near the stove with a wooden spoon in their hands, draw a kitchen knife and make sure that he understands how dangerous it could be for his health!
If you want to check that the rice is not sticking in the bottom, put the spoon through it in a vertical position, and check gently without stirring.
When the water is at a boiling point, you'll notice a froth floating. This is the starch. You should remove it with the spoon.
IMPORTANT: the measures of water to rice, are for quality round grain rice. I always use the round grain Bomba variety for all my rice dishes. It absorbs the water well and cooks different to long grain rice. But for a simple boiled rice to accompany a dish, long grain can be used just as well.
However, it needs more water to boil. Probably about half to one more measure.