photo : Jeremy Keith

Wherever you’re staying in Austria you’re likely to come across that great all-rounder, Goulash. Originally from Hungary, Goulash is now a traditional Austrian dish.

Goulash

Introduced to Austria during the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Goulash has become a much loved dish throughout the country with regional variations reflecting the flavours of each area. For example:

• from the Tyrol comes Käserspätzle with its characteristic cheese egg noodles
• and from Vienna possibly the greatest of them all – the Fiakergoulash (also known as the Wiener goulash).

Fiakergoulash

This variant of the basic goulash gets its name from the iconic horse drawn transport and drivers of Alt Stadt Vienna – the Fiaker. The favourite meal of the Fiaker is reputed to be goulash eaten with hard-boiled eggs. They also have Knödel dumplings and sausages with it – as well as the odd piece of bread of portion of Gröstl (fried potatoes with onion). Definitely a coronary calamity in creation for the not-so calorie conscious!

But if this doesn’t worry you too much, why not have a go at making your own gorgeous goulash using the recipe below:

Ingredients:

Servings:
4-6

2 lbs/0.9 kilo marbled beef, cut in cubes
1 lb /0.5 kilo onion, diced
1/4 cup oil or 1/4 cup lard
1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika, hot if desired
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups beef or 2 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon caraway seed
1 tablespoon dried marjoram
2 teaspoons flour, for slurry
1 teaspoon salt (to taste)

Directions:

1. Heat oil or lard in a heavy pot. Add onions and garlic and under constant stirring, sauté until very dark. Add salt.
2. Add meat in batches – brown on all sides before adding next batch. Do not let the meat steam – raise the heat and add oil if necessary.
3. Sauté meat until browned on all sides, add paprika, stir until fragrant – but watch out so that it doesn’t burn.
4. Add broth, caraway seeds, majoram and tomato paste – simmer until meat is tender. Depending on the cut this can take up to 2 hours. If it gets too dry, add some broth – or better still, a drop or two of red wine!
5. When the meat is tender make a slurry with the flour and a few teaspoons of water – add little by little, checking on the thickness of the sauce.
6. Simmer until the floury taste is gone and the sauce has your preferred perfect consistency.

Enjoy with spaetzle (egg noodles), dumplings, potatoes or fresh crusty bread.

Mahlzeit!

(Mahlzeit – an Austrian pre-meal wish meaning the equivalent of ‘bon appetit’ or enjoy your meal. It’s very rude to start tucking in without having first saluted everyone at the table by saying Mahlzeit!)