Recently, upon returning from our European vacation, I caught up with the stacks of Record-Bee issues on my desk. Ron Jones” “Waltzing Down the Blue Danube” caught my attention, especially the first sentence which read, “Recently, I was taken on a trip down the Danube from Budapest to Prague.” This is a feat comparable to taking a trip down the Mississippi from New Orleans to Boston.
What was that clear liquid they kept refilling Ron”s glass with?
The Hungarian goulash recipe was not much better. Ron left out the paprika, not unlike leaving curry out of curry chicken. Please allow your readers to consider the following as my modest suggestion for a substitute.
Ingredients:
3 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons of bacon fat
2 tablespoons of sweet Hungarian paprika
Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, to taste
1 ? cups of beef stock
1 green pepper, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 red tomato, chopped
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
3 pounds of 1 ?” cubed stew meat (beef, pork or lamb, or a combo)
Sautee onions and garlic in the fat until yellow, add paprika and sautee for a few more minutes. It”s OK to burn it.
In a separate pan, brown meat on all sides. In a heavy cast iron pot, combine all ingredients. Bring to boil then cook slowly for about two hours, until meat is tender. Add more stock as needed. When done, add 6 sprigs of chopped parsley and adjust seasonings. If you like hot spicy food, add some cayenne pepper. Serve with boiled potatoes, noodles, white rice, or dumplings.
You will end up with a stew type of dish. If you want goulash soup, add water, diced potatoes, a couple of carrots and parsnips, additional salt, pepper and paprika, and cook until done. When in doubt, add more paprika Bon appetite.
Tibor E. Major
Lakeport
