Here comes comfort food from the former Austria-Hungarian Empire.
I used paprika&marjoram from Johannes Pinterits who also deliver the Top restaurants in Austria with paprika. In addition caraway seeds from Waldviertel region in Austria. I should mention that the Austrians also add sliced smoked pork sausage Debreziner to the goulash shortly before the end of the cooking process, but it is not necessary in my view. Unless you are a logger or a ski trainer etc.
Anyway perfect food for the first snow in Berlin yesterday.
Ingredients
500-900g potatoes
500g onions
2-3 cloves garlic
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp dry marjoram
5 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp tomato puree/paste
2 tsp noble sweet paprika or 1 tsp sweet paprika and 1 tsp hot paprika
dash white vinegar
1 tbsp salt
Creme Fraiche/Sour Cream
Water
Preparation
First cook the onions sliced or in stripes in sunflower oil for 20min on low heat with lid
After 10min add peeled&quartered potatoes. Also add water until the potatoes are covered. Add lid and cook on low heat for 40-50min. Take care that the potatoes are not overcooked, they should be soft, but still firm.
Looks amazing Martin. You always have inspiring recipes.
I might also add on a more philosophical note, that as a big foodie, who cooks all the time, I have discovered that as I get older, I really start to appreciate Central European cooking, with appropriate seasonings for the area, like marjoram, caraway, dill, juniper etc. There is a simplicity there, a medievalness and a sense of historical flavors I really enjoy. And I think people are starting to come back to them.
Today, I’d much rather have Choucrute than a some sort of “fresh” mediterranean dish. Or a simple Polish potato soup with pork sausages rather than a Boulabaisse. Much more interesting in flavors and textures.
PS. Went to my local German butcher here in LA, and got some Leverwürst for xmas. My American wife looked at me like I’d dragged in road kill when I spread that on my bread, but I can honestly say it was the seventh coming of Christ in my mouth all over again. Sooo good. Nature’s Nutella!
What a coincidence, me too, I also re-discovered spices in the last 2-3 years like marjoram, caraway seeds, dill etc. which I didńt like in my youth. Just a few weeks ago i had a savoy cabbage with caraway cream in the steak-restaurant „Grill Royal“ which thrilled me. I try to re-cook it in the coming weeks.
Adam, you really should visit the restaurant „Nobelhart&Schmutzig“ in Berlin. AND they have a good wine-list.
My wife loves goulash (she attended some college in Austria) but finds that when ordering it in a restaurant in America that one has to probe very carefully as to what the chef’s definition of ‘goulash’ is. It seems to vary between soupy thin, to stew level, and then even to fork level sludge. But the worst goulash she ever had was when we were in Swiss train station.
I do not think its too much to ask for the European Commission to adopt an official definition of ‘goulash’ so that the consumer knows what they are getting. Sort of like champagne, but to avoid confusion between soup/stew/sludge.
