Hello chums, I don’t know about you, but I am really looking forward to Halloween this year. Me and Mr R will be glued to the sofa all weekend scaring ourselves silly watching some amazing films courtesy of the Abertoir Horror Film Festival. I am planning to make a big batch of Vincent Price’s Chili (I’ve never made this before so will report back) plus, Mr R has managed to get his hands on one of these – yipeeeeeee!
This time of year is ALL ABOUT VINCENT for me, and I’m excited to announce the project that I’ve been working on with Vincent’s daughter Victoria and Peter Fuller of Vincent Price Legacy UK. If you need some encouragement to get out and about in November, keeping fit by getting your steps in, DO sign up to this! If you walk a mile (3,000 steps) or more in a day, you’ll be sent a link to a movie star comfort food recipe. What fun!
Here’s a clickable signup link – Walk Up An Appetite – I am the laziest woman alive, but I’m really going to try and walk a mile every day in November – can I do it? I will report back.
If you are looking for something spooky to make for Halloween, could I recommend Vincent’s Goulash recipe? Here’s a fun video I made with my chum Nathalie of the British Film Institute in 2013 showing us making the Goulash and chatting about Vincent’s film career.
and here’s Vincent’s recipe, I always call it Ghoulish Goulash, especially at this time of year.
Vincent Price’s Goulash
900g (2 lb) steak
450g (1 lb) onions, sliced
85g (3 oz) lard (yes lard!)
30g (1 oz) paprika
2 tbsp flour mixed with 1 tsp salt
450g (1 lb) chopped tomatoes
Glass of red wine (I’m sure Vincent would have made it a large one)
265-570 ml stock (½-1 British pint)
1 clove garlic (to ward off the vampires)
bouquet garni (sprig of parsley and thyme and a bay leaf)
300g (11 oz) potatoes
Cut the meat into 1-inch cubes (smallish bite-sized morsels). Roll them first in paprika and then in flour. Brown onions in the fat, and then brown meat on all sides. Add tomatoes, and wine and cook fiercely for a few minutes. Add any remaining flour and paprika. Pour over enough stock to cover, add the garlic and the bouquet garni. Cover and cook very slowly on top of the stove or in the oven for about 2 hours. Parboil the potatoes, add them to the goulash and cook for a further 20 minutes to ½ hour.
I’ll be checking my M&S later ! But I think you will prefer VP’s chili, it’s epic. Make a big batch, you’ll want 2nds and 3rds and some for the day after ! Make some creamed corn and scary garlic bread to go with it and you wont go hungry ! It’s right up there with Chasen’s for me ! Might make another batch for the weekend myself .
Whoopeeee! I was just checking your feedback for salt quantities – I am going with the three teaspoons! Yum Yum xx
So how did the Chili go ? I’m dying to know. I made a lovely batch and still have enough for today and tomorrow !
It was FAB and I just had the last of it for my lunch. Made the full batch in my slow cooker and we had 2 portions over Halloween (one with rice, one with a jacket potato) and had 2 portions each since too. Yum!!! I’ll be doing a blog post about it sometime soon and including some of your feedback. Did you go for 3 teaspoons or 6 of the salt this time? I went for 3.
No, three is enough for me too ! I did 6 first time around, I liked it, but it’s one hell of a salt kick . Also not sure about the beef stock, I put no extra liquid at all in Chasen’s and I like the way it simmers into a thick swamp, whereas VP’s has a lot more liquid still there after simmer . Either way I think both are stunners !
FAB! I will recommend halving the salt when I include the recipe in the Co*Star book. This is all good stuff and so helpful. Check your email inbox for yet another movie star chili recipe!
The vexed issue of the All Spice. Realised the first time I made this I used Chinese 6 spice because I could not find any Allspice which I thought might be similar, but 2nd & 3rd times I’ve done this it’s been Allspice and there has been a noticeable clove kick again in the mix. I’m not crazy about it and only really like a hint of it so if you want it I reckon a 1/4 tsp at most ! It’s nice and it gives it a slighter sweeter, warmer taste, but I still prefer Chasen’s which does not use it at all !
Also watched ‘Dragonwyck’ on You tube yesterday and there was a classic VP line. When Gene Tierney comes to the lunch table after a ‘moment’ and assures Vincent she is ‘all right now’ he says ‘Good, then I shall start to mix our salad oil’ Even in films he had his priorities right !
Yo Mark – I am with you on the cloves. Clove is one of the few flavours in my food I am not too keen on and I often leave it out of recipes. When I get to writing up the VP chili I will make a note of your suggestion. LOVE that quote from Dragonwyck. That’s on my “to watch” list for the VP book so I’ll keep my eyes peeled and work that in somehow! Jx