As far as I know, cider is not a traditional component of goulash, but Diana uses it in hers, and somehow, it works. This was really very tasty indeed. It was very difficult to make it look nice in a photo though. As it was pointed out to me many moons ago by the lovely Alastair Hendy, brown food is very hard to photograph. Definitely one for the Vincent Price Co*Star cookbook though, I liked it.
As I don’t have a nice pic of the goulash, how about some pics of Diana?!
…and here’s the way she makes her goulash!
Diana says: “As a change from ordinary cooking, I enjoy some international cuisine. Goulash is a stew using a cheap cut of meat, made tender by long slow cooking. The flavourings are unusual and result in a dish that is different and delicious. It re-heats well for a second day.”
Diana Rigg’s Beef Goulash
1/2 pint cider
2 1/2 cheapest cut stewing steak
1 lb onions
2 oz lard
1 tablespoon paprika
Salt
2 tomatoes, peeled and de-seeded
1 or 2 crushed garlic cloves
Grated rind of half a lemon
1 teaspoon of caraway seeds and dried marjoram
Trim fat and skin from the steak and cut into strips. Cut the onions into thin slices. Melt the lard in a strong pan and fry the onion until golden brown. Stir in the paprika and half the cider and boil for a minute or two. Stir in the rest of the cider, the meat, salt, chopped tomatoes and seasonings (garlic, lemon rind, caraway seeds and marjoram). Cover pan with lid and cook as slowly as possible until the meat is tender (usually about 2-3 hours). Serve with boiled potatoes or plain boiled noodles.
Serves 6-8
Diana Rigg’s goulash recipe does sound good and I’m tempted to make it this weekend, as the temperatures are beginning to cool down here in Toronto. But I think I’ll use potatoes as the side dish, instead of noodles.
I have always been a fan of her work, as I was/am a huge fan of the The Avengers. I was also fortunate enough to see her in Medea, on Broadway in I think 1994. And she was, in one word, fabulous. I consider seeing her performance as one of the highlights of my theatre-going experiences.
As I’m typing this post, I can look over my desk and see my framed Playbill program of Medea. The program has a picture of her and the two young actors who played her sons.
She will be missed.
Ahhh, this is wonderful Tracy. How lovely that you saw Diana on stage. Thanks for sharing that memory. I think the goulash would be lovely with potatoes. Strangely enough, we are having a little heatwave here, just as it was supposed to be cooling down here too. But once it gets chilly I’m definitely making this again! Love from sunny London – Jenny
Who didn’t love Emma Peel ! What a shame and by a weird irony I have just been watching her having finally succumbed to ‘Game of Thrones’ in these lockdown times. She is predictably wonderful in it and thoroughly evil ! Making this today, but I cannot abide cider – that’s what growing up in Cornwall can do for you ! So i will make more of GOT version and use half a pint Bull’s Blood instead !
Haha! You don’t like cider? My word! Do let me know how your goulash turned out. Even though it’s hot today, I really fancy some x
In the end the heat beat me too . That and not being able to get any decent meat in sainsburys when I got there . In the end Tesco’s was doing a special on corned beef so I did hash . Lot less prep and cooking time for a hot day ! Will do it though as looks a good one for the slow cooker.
Ooooooooh, corned beef hash. YUM YUM. Yes, I reckon that this goulash would be a winner dinner in a slow cooker. I got mine down from the top cupboard this week and did some stuffed peppers in it, lovely x
The goulash was predictably wonderful even with wine instead of cider. The only other thing I did different was use shin of beef sliced as small as I could get it and marinaded in paprika and a bay for a couple of hours before hand. And I forgot the lemon rind . Otherwise as instructed, got it altogether in a deep pan and put it on as low a gas flame as I could and let it simmer for the best part of three hours. Perfect. Served with boiled potatoes with their ‘Peel’ on ! See what I did there ?
Haha – I DO see what you did there Mark. Well this sounds utterly wonderful. Your description makes me crave some of Diana’s Goulash right now and it’s only 8.30am! I’m doing a “comfort food” project in November, more details coming soon, and I am 99% sure that Diana’s Goulash will feature in that…