I definitely needed to cook the beef longer, 5 tablespoons of paprika was actually better than 3, I didn't include any bay leaves and used marjoram instead, I think bay leaves will be fine, or maybe use some real actual fresh herb.
Also I didn't like the dumplings recipe here, I think I'd actually go through the effort of making gnocchi completely rather than doing potato chunks.
June Meyer's Authentic Hungarian
Goulash
(Gulyasleves)
Here is a recipe for authentic Hungarian Goulash I learned to make from my grandmother and mother who were from Austria-Hungary. Every family has its own version of Goulash. My family would NEVER consider tomatos or green peppers or other spices in Goulash. Some other dishes would have tomato or green pepper, but not Goulash. Slow cooking is the secret and you can never use too much paprika. I like to use 3 tablespoons. Hope you enjoy this dish, I have been raised on it.
Regards, June Meyer.
2 lb. beef chuck
1 tsp. salt
2 onions, white or yellow
2 Tbsp. lard or shortening
2 Tbsp. imported sweet paprika (most important to use real hungarian paprika for ultimate flavor)
2 bay leaves
1 Qt. water
4 peeled and diced potatoes
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Cut beef into 1 inch squares, add 1/2 tsp. salt. Chop onions and brown in shortening, add beef and paprika. Let beef simmer in its own juice along with salt and paprika for 1 hr. on low heat. Add water, diced potatoes and remaining salt. Cover and simmer until potatoes are done and meat is tender. Prepare egg dumpling batter:
1 egg
6 Tbsp. flour
1/8 tsp. salt
Add flour to unbeaten egg and salt. Mix well. Let stand for 1/2 hour for flour to mellow. Drop by teaspoonful into Goulash. Cover and simmer 5 minutes after dumplings rise to surface.
Serve hot with dollops of sour cream.
Serves 6.
Hungarian Beef Goulash w/ Potato Gnocchi
For the past week, I've been trying to find a simple, yet hearty, meal to prepare for dinner. Did I mention that it also needed to be quick and easy? No....well, that's also a requirement. Below is a recipe that I've modified from Eating Well. Traditionally, Hungarian goulash contains potatoes and is served with noodles, but I wanted to try something different, hence the gnocchi. Enjoy!
Hungarian Beef Goulash
Ingredients
2 pounds lean beef stew meat, trimmed and cubed
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 1/2-2 tablespoons sweet or hot paprika, (or a mixture of the two), preferably Hungarian
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 small yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 14-ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 14-ounce can low fat, reduced-sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Method
Place beef in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Crush caraway seeds with the bottom of a saucepan. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in paprika, salt and pepper. Sprinkle the beef with the spice mixture and toss to coat well. Top with onion and bell peppers.
Combine tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire sauce and garlic in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer. Pour over the beef and vegetables. Place bay leaves on top. Cover and cook until the beef is very tender, 4 to 4 1/2 hours on high or 7 to 7 1/2 hours on low.
Discard the bay leaves; skim or blot any visible fat from the surface of the stew. Add the cornstarch mixture to the stew and cook on high, stirring 2 or 3 times, until slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve sprinkled with parsley.
Potato Gnocchi
Ingredients
2 lbs whole baking potatoes
2 beaten egg yolks
1 1/2 cups flour
Pinch of salt
Method
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spear the potatoes with fork tines in several places around each potato to vent moisture as the potatoes cook. Bake the potatoes in their skins until tender, about an hour. Let cool on a rack, cutting them open to help cool and let more moisture escape.
Scoop out the potatoes from their skins. Pass the potatoes through a potato ricer and into a large bowl. (If you don't have a potato rice you can mash the potatoes by hand and fluff them up a bit with a fork.) It is best to work with the potatoes when they are still warm.
Add the flour, egg and a pinch of salt. Mix by hand until you have a nice pliable ball of dough. Do not over-mix.
Prepare a work area and dust it with flour. Take the dough, a piece at a time, and roll it out gently with your hands until you have rolls about 3/4 inch in diameter. It is very important to keep a light touch while you are rolling the dough. Gently roll the dough with your fingertips while while exerting the lightest pressure outwards, not down, to draw the dough out.
Cut the tubes of dough into pieces about one inch long. Using either the tines of a fork or your fingertip, press against a piece of the dough and roll it slightly to form an indentation (good for catching the sauce). As the gnocchi are made, place them on flat baking pan, lightly dusted with flour or lined with wax paper. At this point you can freeze the gnocchi ahead of time. Freeze them first on a floured or lined tray, then once frozen you can put them into a freezer bag for more easy storage. To cook, just put the frozen gnocchi into the simmering water for the next step.
Bring at least 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in a shallow saucepan. Gently drop the gnocchi, a few at a time, into the water. As soon as they rise to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon, draining well. Arrange on a warm serving dish. Continue cooking the gnocchi in the same manner.
As soon as all the gnocchi are ready, pour your sauce (or in this case "goulash") over them. Serve immediately.