Hungarian beef goulash

 

     Goulash is Hungary's most famous dish, and paprika is an essential ingredient.

Serves 4

• 30 ml vegetable oil
• 1 kg braising steak, cubed
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 15 ml plain flour
• 10 ml paprika
• 5 ml carraway seeds
• 400 gr can chopped tomatoes
• 300 ml beef stock
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
• Soured cream and paprika, to garnish

For the dumplings

• 115 gr self-raising flour
• 50 gr shredded suet
• 15 ml chopped fresh parsley
• 2 ml carraway seeds
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole, add the meat and fry over a high heat for 5 minutes, stirring, until browned ; remove with a slotted spoon.

Add the onion and garlic and fry gently for 5 minutes, until softened ; add flour, paprika and carraway seeds, stir and cook for 3 minutes.
Return the browned meat to the casserole and stir in the tomatoes and stock ; bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, make the dumplings.
Sift the flour and seasoning into a bowl ; add the suet, chopped parsley, carraway seeds and about 40-60 ml cold water and mix to a soft dough.
Divide into 8 pieces and roll into balls ; cover and reserve.

After 2 hours, stir in the carrot and pepper into the goulash and season well ; arrange the dumplings carefully on top of the goulash, cover and simmer for about 25 minutes.

Serve in bowls topped with a spoonful of soured cream and sprinkle with a pinch of paprika.

BON APPÉTIT

Cornouailles aux raisins crémeux

 

                    Le poulet de Cornouailles, aussi appelé coquelet, est originaire de la région de Cornouailles en Angleterre. Il s'agit d'un jeune poulet de 30 jours, dont le poids, une fois vidé, ne doit pas excéder 1 kg (2.2 lb).

4 portions

• 1 oignon rouge, ciselé
• 500 ml raisins rouges sans pépins
• 150 gr fromage à tartiner à l'ail et aux fines herbes (type Boursin)
• 2 poulets de Cornouailles
• 15 ml huile d'olive
• Sel et poivre
• 15 ml miel
• 5 ml vinaigre de Xérès

1. Dans un bol, mélanger l'oignon et les raisins.
2. Placer le fromage à tartiner à l'intérieur des poulets et les remplir du mélange d'oignon et de raisins ; à l'aide de ficelle, attacher les pilons afin de maintenir la farce à l'intérieur des poulets.
3. Huiler et assaisonner les poulets ; placer dans un plat allant au four et cuire 30 minutes à 350F (175C).
4. Dans un petit bol, mélanger le miel et le vinaigre ; arroser les poulet du mélange et remettre au four pour 20 minutes.
5. Servir un poulet pour 2 personnes.

BON APPÉTIT

Cinnamon rice pudding

 

     Cinnamon adds a wonderful flavour to rice pudding.

Serves 4

• 75 gr raisins
• 90 gr short grain rice
• 2.5 cm /1 in strip of lime or lemon peel
• 475 ml milk
• 225 gr sugar
• 1 ml salt
• 2.5 cm/1 in cinnamon stick
• 2 egg yolks, well beaten
• 15 gr unsalted butter, cubed
• Toasted flaked almonds, to decorate 
• Segments of fresh peeled oranges, to serve

Put the raisins into a small bowl ; cover with warm water and set aside to soak.
Put the short grain rice into a saucepan together with the lime or lemon peel and 250 ml water ; bring slowly to the boil and then lower the heat.
Cover the pan and simmer very gently for about 20 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed.

Remove the peel from the rice and discard it ; add the milk, sugar, salt and cinnamon stick and cook, stirring, over a very low heat until all the milk has been absorbed (Do not cover the pan, do not allow to boil).

Discard the cinnamon stick ; add the egg yolks and butter, stirring, until the butter has melted and the pudding is rich and creamy.
Drain the raisins well and stir them into the rice ; cook the pudding for a few minutes longer.

Spoon the rice into a dish and cool ; decorate with flaked almonds and serve with orange segments.

BON APPÉTIT

Paprika pork with fennel and caraway

 

     Fennel alway tastes very good with pork, and combined with caraway seeds adds an aromatic flavour to this Middle European dish.

Serves 4

• 15 ml olive oil
• 4 boneless pork steaks
• 1 large onion, thickly sliced
• 400 gr can chopped tomatoes
• 5 ml fennel seeds, lightly crushed
• 2 ml caraway seeds, lightly crushed
• 15 ml paprika
• 30 ml soured cream
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Paprika, to garnish
• Buttered noodles and poppy seeds, to serve

Heat the oil in a large frying pan ; add pork steaks and brown on both side.
Lift out the steaks and put them on a plate.

Add the onion to the oil remaining in the pan ; cook for 10 minutes, until soft and golden.
Stir in the tomatoes, fennel, caraway seeds and paprika.

Return the pork to the pan and simmer gently for 20-30 minutes until tender ; season with salt and pepper.
Lightly swirl in the soured cream and sprinkle with a little paprika.

Serve with noodles tossed in butter and sprinkled with poppy seeds.

BON APPÉTIT

Feta, roasted garlic and oregano pizza

 

     This pizza is ideal for garlic lovers! Mash down the cloves as you eat - they should be soft and will have lost their pungency.

Serves 4 

• 1 x 150 gr packet pizza base mix
• 120 ml lukewarm water
• 1 medium garlic bulb, split into cloves
• 45 ml olive oil
• 1 medium red pepper, quartered and seeded
• 1 medium yellow pepper, quartered and seeded
• 2 plum tomatoes
• 175 gr feta, crumbled
• 15-30 ml chopped fresh oregano, to garnish

Empty the contents of the pizza base packet into a bowl, then pour in the water and mix to a dough ; turn on to a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until smooth.
Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425F (220C).
Toss the garlic cloves in 15 ml of the oil.
Place the peppers skin side up on a baking sheet and grill until the skins are charred ; after 10 minutes, peel off the skins and cut the flesh into strips.

Put the tomatoes in a bowl and pour over boiling water ; leave for 30 seconds, then plunge into cold water.
Peel, seed and roughly chop the flesh.
Divide the dough into 4 pieces, then roll out each one to a 13 cm/5 in circle.

Place the dough on greased baking sheet.
Brush with half the remaining oil and scatter over the tomatoes ; top with the peppers, feta and garlic.
Drizzle over the remaining oil ; bake for 15-20 minutes until crisp.

Garnish and serve.

BON APPÉTIT

Chinese five-spice powder

 

     Use this spice mixture in chicken, pork and red meat dishes with soy sauce and to season Chinese spareribs.

Makes about 75 ml

• 5 ml Szechuan pepper
• 5 ml ground cinnamon
• 5 ml cloves
• 5 ml fennel seeds
• 5 ml star anise

1. Grind all the ingredients to a fine powder and store in a airtight container.

BON APPÉTIT

Cajun spice mix

 

     This spice mixture can be used as a seasoning for jambalaya and gumbo, as well as for fish steaks, chicken or meat.

Makes about 150 ml

• 5 ml black peppercorns
• 5 ml cumin seeds
• 5 ml white mustard seeds
• 10 ml paprika
• 5 ml chilli powder or Cayenne pepper
• 5 ml dried oregano
• 10 ml dried thyme
• 5 ml salt
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 onion, sliced

1. Dry-fry the peppercorns, cumin and mustard seeds over a medium heat to release their flavours.
2. Grind the roasted spices to a fine powder, then add the paprika, chilli or Cayenne pepper, oregano, thyme and salt and grind again.
3. If it is to be used immediately, add the spices to the garlic and onion and process in a blender or food processor until well combined.

BON APPÉTIT