Real gulash comes from Hungary and is very tasty. In other parts of Central Europe the term is used to refer to any kind of stew. This is an adaptation of the Czech version which is usually served with slices of bread dumpling called knedliky. It also goes very well with boiled new potatoes or rice, and a bit of sour cream wouldn't go amiss either.

This dish works best if you use beef from the shin or neck, which has a lot of connective tissue that dissolves into the sauce as it cooks very slowly. This recipe was requested by Vanessa!

The recipe 'serves six.

Ingredients

• olive oil
• 2 medium-sized onions, finely chopped
• one medium red chilli, deseeded and sliced
• one clove of garlic
• 1kg stewing beef, chopped into rough cubes
• one 400g can of plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1-2 teaspoons paprika
• bay leaf
• 250ml good red wine

Directions

1. Heat a little oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan with a lid. Fry the onion briskly until translucent then add the meat.
2. When the meat has coloured, add the wine and stir well to lift any juicy bits which have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining ingredients, reduce the heat to as low as it will go (use a heat diffuser if you have one) and put the lid on.
3. It will probably take a couple of hours for all the tough bits in the meat to dissolve - the best way to test is to nibble a bit. Test for seasoning and remove the bay leaf and you're done.

Categories: Recipes

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