Goulash, beef stew, Shepherd’s Pie Stew… different names for the same delicious specialty we all love and cherish. Goulash is the most satisfying comfort food you need to have on your dinner table on a rainy and cold day.
Nothing can quite keep you as warm as a generous bowl of steaming hot beef stew. It’s so delicious that we won’t even bore you with a history lesson and talk about its origin. Instead, we’ll just cut to the chase and provide you with the most mouth-watering goulash recipe combined with buttery-sweet mashed potato.
How to Make Goulash
Okay, so in order to make this recipe you’ll need the following ingredients:
- 1x tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 lb / 0,5 kg beef stewing meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1x onion, chopped
- 2x sizeable carrots, sliced and halved
- 1x stalk of celery, finely chopped
- 2x bay leaves
- 2x garlic cloves, minced
- 2x tablespoons of all-purpose flour
- 2x tablespoons of tomato paste
- 1/2 cup of red wine
- 2x 1/2 cups of chicken stock
- 1x tablespoon of soy sauce
- 1x tablespoon of chopped parsley
- 1x teaspoon of chopped fresh thyme
- 1/2 pounds of premium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 1/2 stick of unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup of heavy cream
- salt and pepper to taste
Take a large Dutch oven or any other cooking pot that’s large enough for making stew. Pour in the vegetable oil and heat it up on medium to high heat until it’s simmering. Add the meat and cook it for about 5 minutes on each side or until it’s browned. Take out the meat and add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook the mixture for about 10 minutes.
You’ll know it’s done once it becomes soft and the aroma spreads throughout your kitchen. Add flour and stir it in until it’s evenly spread. Start gradually adding the tomato paste to the mixture, followed by wine. Simmer until the wine is completely reduced. Add chicken stock, bay leaves, chopped parsley, thyme, and soy sauce. Bring to a simmer and leave it for about half an hour. The texture should thicken up and become saucy.
Meanwhile, start making your creamy mashed potatoes. Throw the 3/4-inch potato cubes into a large pot of cold water and add salt. Boil them for about 10-15 minutes. The best way to check if the potatoes are ready for mashing is to take a fork and gently poke them. If they are fork-tender, they are ready.
Drain the potatoes through a colander and return them to the pan. Stir them for a couple of minutes to get rid of any remaining water. This will also keep them warm. Take a potato masher and use some elbow grease to get that silky smooth, beautiful texture. Melt the unsalted butter and gradually add it to the mashed potatoes until it’s fully incorporated. Finally, add the heavy cream little by little and stir it in. Season to taste.
So, now that you have your stew and mashed potatoes done, it’s time to serve it. Take a generous spoon of potatoes and serve it in a bowl. Pour the steaming hot beef stew over the top and watch it as it perfectly mixes together. Serve warm.
Enjoyed making this flavorsome recipe? Tell us all about it in the comments!
If you’re interested in more tasty dishes that you can make at home, make sure to keep up with our blog. If you just want to have a bowl of delicious hot beef stew without the hassle of making it on your own, you’ll find one on our menu at our Serbian restaurant in Miami, Rakija Lounge.
