Hungarian rhapsody ...

… not in the musical sense! You probably wouldn't imagine using the word “rhapsody” or actually “rhapsodic” attributed to food, however, to the extent that one can be enthusiastic and excited about it I don't see why not.

I'm sure it's no surprise that the “Hungarian” refers to goulash. This time of year when it's turning cold it's difficult not to get bored once you've exhausted all the old favourites.

Here's my latest thought, “zhuzhed” a little. These days goulash seems to be served with rice or, spatzle (a soft egg noodle). I'm an old fashioned kinda gal with certain dishes and goulash is one of them. I like to serve mine, as was done in the 70s, with new potatoes. The ultimate comfort food however you want to serve it – by the way don't forget the sour cream - stirring in or even a blob on top – optional of course.

Hungarian Goulash

Serves 4-6 depending on size of appetite

900g braising steak, diced

glug of rapeseed oil to seal the beef

1 large onion, chopped as finely as possible

*8 tbsp tomato ketchup

*2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

*1 tbsp soft dark brown sugar

*2 tsps salt

*2 tsps Hungarian sweet paprika

*½ tsp mustard powder

300ml water

2 beef stock pots

1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp water

small tub of sour cream - optional

Use a large frying pan and seal the steak in the rapeseed oil – in small batches – if you overfill the pan you will finish up with grey steak and it will “stew” - not nice! Set the batches aside in the slow cooker. Soften the onion for 2 minutes and then add to the steak.

In a medium sized bowl mix together the ingredients marked *.

Using the same frying pan – and therefore any residual juices, add the water and the stock pots, bring to the boil and stir until the pots have melted. Add the mixed ingredients * and pour over the beef.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until meat is tender.

At the end of the cooking time, using a slotted spoon, remove the steak from the gravy. Mix the cornflour with water and stir into goulash and cook on high to thicken.

Add the steak back into the thickened gravy and you're good to go.

Feeling hungry?

The moral of the rummage …

... is whatever you may cook if you have any leftovers – protein or otherwise, no matter how small an amount – bag it and freeze it. Note to self – don't forget to label and add a date too.

I always used to think that by Wednesday evening it was downhill all the way to the weekend - however the tiredness was kicking in and I felt like a limp lettuce leaf - supper was the last thing I wanted to think about.

All the more satisfying to produce a mid week meal using ingredients taken straight from your freezer. Time spent, five minutes rummaging through it and another five assembling the pie – ok – ten if you insist.

I appreciate you've got to allow for defrosting – if you're not a morning person, or probably more to the point are too busy splitting atoms why not “rummage” the night before – post-it notes for reminders are a wonderful thing.

If you need to be persuaded :

It's not just about being thrifty, to use a very old fashioned word – economical if you want an up to date version! It's about making the absolute best out of your leftovers that already taste great – believe me they taste even better when they've taken minutes to assemble. You won't be sorry.

Mid week glass of wine anyone?

Way back …

… when I visited my Nana and stayed for tea it was always “salad” or the 60s version of it but what I always remember is a bowl of sliced raw onion and cucumber steeped in malt vinegar.

It doesn't sound appetising I grant you, just the thought of the raw onion together with the pungency of the vinegar is enough to blow your socks off.

Which brings me to my second short cut using your spiced sweetened vinegar. Slice an onion thinly and submerge it in the spiced vinegar. Leave it for a few hours or overnight – somewhere cool but not in your fridge – you'll taint everything – vinegar flavoured chocolate mousse is not a good “culinary” look!

This is what it looks like :

For those sandwich connoisseurs out there I have two suggestions – mature cheddar cheese with the onion or, if you've roast beef left over, try a sprinkle of salt and then the onion – ta dah – on either count.

If the onion is a hit you might like to try cutting into chunks then submerge and leave it to absorb all the spiced sweetened vinegar overnight - or even a day or two and then add it to a casserole for added zing. It should be covered and kept in a cool, dark place.

It may not be a “pickled” onion for the purists but it beats the **** out of spending a fortune on a less than acceptable alternative.

Works for me!

Hold those thoughts …

… the first of the short cuts.

I am happy to report that these days you don't have to go through the palaver of adding pickling spice to infuse in vinegar – you can buy ready spiced pickling vinegar and it's a great product.

Try making up a batch of the sweetened vinegar :

225g/8oz demerara sugar

600ml/1 pint malt vinegar

15g/½oz pickling spice

or 1 pint of ready spiced pickling vinegar

Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar over a low heat, bring slowly to the boil and boil for a few seconds.

Leave to cool and then bottle in jars that have been sterilised - I use the dishwasher.

Check out these photos :

Nice colour don't you think?

Way back when … and the second short cut coming next.

A serious word about … pickled onions

Is there anyone out there who loves pickled onions but can't be bothered to go to the trouble of preserving their own or are disappointed with shop bought – despite paying lots of dosh?

I suppose it's considered old fashioned to create your own “preserves” these days although it has to be said it's a fairly long winded, nay messy process, so no big surprise.

If the mood should take, here's the recipe I use, given to me by my Mum. I've no idea where it came from – what I can tell you is that they are the best I've ever had.

Sweet and Sour Onions

1kg/2lb pickling onions

225g/8oz salt

2.25 litres/4 pints water

225g/8oz demerara sugar

600ml/1 pint malt vinegar

15g/½oz pickling spice

Place the onions in a large saucepan with the salt and water and stir.

Put a plate on top to keep the onions under the brine.

Leave for 12 hours.

Peel the onions carefully and return to the brine for a further 24-36 hours.

Meanwhile, make up the spiced vinegar – dissolve the sugar in the vinegar over a low heat, stir in the spice, bring slowly to the boil and boil for a few seconds.

Leave with the spices to cool.

Drain the onions well and pack into jars suitable for vinegar and pickles.

Strain the vinegar and pour over the onions. Cover and seal. Leave for 3-4 months before eating.

You may think it's too late this year but remember that pickles are not just for Christmas!

Now for the good news – there are one or two short cuts which you may find useful, whilst you're waiting impatiently for those you've bottled to mature.

Hold those thoughts ...

A mid week rummage …

… in your freezer.

It's Wednesday and I've no idea what's for supper – not a clue. That's the trouble with this endlessly tedious “hamster wheel” of producing food. I'm off for a rummage in my freezer, in the faint hope that I'll find inspiration and, hopefully, a solution that will not involve too much work.

Five minutes later and I've the answer to all my problems and I give myself a pat on the back for all the occasions I've bagged and frozen leftover bits and pieces along the way – hurray!

I've pulled out a small bag – 145g approximately – of slow cooked gammon, which I'd frozen in chunks and ditto of slow cooked chicken, together with a box of sauce supreme. They are all out defrosting ready for assembly later. Now is the time I use my supply of baked jacket potatoes that are in my fridge.

No cooking required, unless you count sliding the “pie” into a pre-heated oven – that would be nit picking in my book!

Ingredients

Serves 2 generous portions

145/150g cooked gammon

145/150g cooked chicken

200g sauce supreme

1 large baked jacket potato, sliced thinly

skin on or off, whichever is preferred

50/75g grated cheese – mature cheddar or gruyere

to sprinkle over sliced potato topping

salt and black pepper

Mix your chicken and gammon in a medium size bowl. Add a drop of boiled water to the sauce and whisk to loosen, then fold into the gammon and chicken. Tip your filling into a small casserole or a foil tray measuring 20x11x5cms approximately. Add the sliced potatoes, salt and pepper and top with the grated cheese.

Bake in a preheated oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6 for 25 minutes or until golden.

Equal or exact amounts of, in this case the chicken and gammon, aren't important. Check out your fridge – you may find a leek lurking – or is it a lurking leek. Slice finely and soften in a small saucepan with a glug of rapeseed oil.

The moral of the rummage … 

Speaking of apple sauce …

… reminds me of the recipe that I'd used previously when wanting a foolproof sauce.

There's a book by Elizabeth David – An Omelette and a Glass of Wine (if you don't have it in your collection you might want to consider a purchase). This book is a collection of various articles, one of which is called “Big Bad Bramleys” and refers to Eliza Acton and her recipe for apple purée – here comes another book recommendation - Eliza Acton – Modern Cookery for private families – to give perspective Ms. Acton's book was first published in 1845!

Here's that recipe, with modern oven temperatures of course.

Eliza Acton's apple sauce

Pre-heat oven to 160fan/180c/Gas 4.

Grease a glass dish with butter.

This sauce is so easy – the only emphasis is on the preparation of the apples. All the peel and core must be removed. There are no amounts here, you can cook as much sauce, or purée if you prefer, as you desire – it freezes well.

Peel, core and slice your apple – if you can slice them a similar size, so much the better, they will cook more evenly.

Place your apples in your dish and cover with a lid or foil – NO WATER, SUGAR OR ANYTHING ELSE.

Bake for 20/30 minutes. Check after 20. The apples should be soft. Here's the satisfying bit – whisk the apples until they begin to break up, sprinkle with caster sugar plus a generous knob of unsalted butter, whisk again – enjoy.

This would appear to be almost identical to the previous recipe – the only difference being the inclusion of 2 tbsp of water and made on the hob instead of in the oven. Having made both versions the hob method is quicker - the quality of the sauce is great using either.

Another post script – if you subscribe to the “chicken soup” cure for all ills, then this is the sweet alternative!