Glühwein and goulash – Christmas In July

We’re thrilled to bring you a series of recipes by chef Deirdre Gullan. For her first post, Deidre brings you two delicious winter warmers, Glühwein and goulash…

Yip, it’s that time of the year again when trees are bare and the roses pruned. Time to get fireplaces going and turn on electric blankets. In encouragement of winter, I thought, why not have a glühwein and goulash Christmas in July party. Glühwein reminds me of my skiing trips to Austria, sipping on the delicious warm mulled wine permeated with orange, clove, cinnamon and anise. Each sip contributing to that rosy cheek glow, as my hands and feet slowly defrosted.  After a glass or two of it, skiing became far more interesting and funny… if you know what I mean. This recipe is spicy, orangey and not too sweet. It certainly shouts out festive season, hence the idea, Christmas in July.

Now, as far as goulash goes, it’s one of those “warm your cockles” kinda dish.

This goulash is very tasty with a rich and meaty, tomato gravy that lovingly coats each piece of meat. I have used pork for this recipe as it has that seductive richness that I love, but beef can be substituted if you want. The paprika gives it that deep smoky hum, with a hearty authentic Hungarian taste. It is also relatively cheap fare. The stew offers much comfort with its rustic glow and tender meat. It is enough to brighten the chilliest of nights.

So, get out your Christmas decor and invite family and friends around for a Glühwein and goulash themed party. For some extra silliness, you can even make it a dress up.

Goulash

Ingredients:

3 medium onions, thickly sliced

2 tbsp. of olive oil

Small chilli, chopped and deseeded – optional

1 heaped tbsp. of sweet paprika

800g cubed pork

1 tbsp. flour

400ml of beef stock

3 mixed peppers, chopped into large pieces

2 x 250ml tins whole tomatoes

1tbsp. tomato paste

200ml white wine

1tsp of fennel or caraway seeds

1tsp. sugar

Salt and pepper to taste.

Method:

1 Preheat your oven to 140 degrees Celsius.

2 Soften the onions in the olive oil in a heavy based oven-proof pot, so they become soft and pale.

3 Add the chopped chilli and paprika into the onions and stir, cook for 2 minutes.

4 Remove the onions from the pot and set aside, keep the pan juices.

5 Turn the heat up and add the cubed meat to the pot to brown on all sides. Don’t overcrowd the pan and add more oil if necessary.

6 Once the meat is browned return the onion mixture to the pot.

7 Sprinkle over the flour, cook briefly.

8 Add the beef stock.

9 Add the peppers, caraway/fennel seeds, tinned tomatoes, paste and wine.

10 Bring everything to a simmer, season generously with salt and pepper.

11 Cover with a lid and transfer to an oven, leave to simmer for 2 hours.

12 Remove from oven, check the meat for tenderness and skim off some of the fat from the surface. If the meat is not tender enough, put it back for another 45 minutes. (Cooking time is dependent on the type of meat you use).

13 If required, use mazina to thicken sauce.

14 Serve with mash, thick noodles, rice or boiled potatoes.

Glühwein

Serves 4

Ingredients:

750ml red wine

1 orange, juiced

2 sticks cinnamon

3 cloves

2 cardamom pods

1 star anise

3 tbsp. white sugar. You can substitute brown sugar or honey for a slightly different flavour. Add less sugar if you don’t like it too sweet.

Method:

1 Slowly heat the red wine in a large pot, don’t bring to the boil.

2 Add the orange juice to the wine along with the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, star anise and sugar.

3 Stir slowly until the sugar has dissolved. Leave to simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes, don’t allow it to boil.

4 Remove the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and star anise.

5 Pour into individual glasses and finish off by adding a thin slice of orange rind to each glass. Serve hot.