It’s Halloween, one of my favourite nights of the year, and there is a vast amount of Vincent Price Goulish Goulash in the slow cooker. My CHARGE is coming for dinner tomorrow evening, and like some Aunt in a PG Wodehouse novel I want to make sure he is fully fed. He’s here from New Zealand studying at Kings and my friends – his parents – have asked me to look out for him. It’s probably the most responsibility I have ever had in my entire life.
It’s ironic that when I was hanging out with his parents it was the most debauched and outrageous time of my life (so far!) without doubt. I was living in Sydney and it was party central. Now, I am missing a Halloween party at Moors Bar because I want to tidy up, clean the bath, hoover, get dinner organised a day in advance and generally make a good impression. Isaac is 20, and doesn’t seem like the kind of man who would be at all worried about whether my flat was clean or not but no matter, I do want everything to be tickety-bo for some reason. I’ve turned into a 1950s housewife.
While I was cooking I listened to a couple of Vincent Price’s cooking lessons from the Beverly Hills Cookbook and started pondering what to do for my birthday – it’s coming up soon. It’s a while since I did a whole Vincent extravaganza but maybe I will do one on the Sunday. It’s a toss up between “Dinner at the Casbah” (Moroccan Cuisine) – or “Exotic Delights from the Far East” (Foods of India). I could show Casablanca if I did the former, and maybe something featuring Anna Kashfi for the latter – ha ha!
Vincent Price 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 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.
For this version I was a bit drunk and put two tins of tomatoes in, I didn’t add any stock. I also forgot about the bouquet garni. Goulash is brilliant though – you can muck about with it a bit and it always turns out grand.
I’m listening to Barbara Windsor on R2 who is presenting a show about Kathy Kirby. It’s fascinating – she just said that there was 40 years between Kathy Kirby and her first lover I think. 40 years? Maybe she said 14. I’m a bit distracted, are they talking about Ambrose, THE Ambrose, MY Ambrose, as in Ambrose and His Orchestra? My favourite? From the 1930s? I’m gong to have to listen to this again. Was HE her lover, 40 years older? Holy Hannah.
Thank God for Vincent, bringing a bit of sanity to proceedings. Happy Halloween…
Happy Halloween! I am loving this recipe for Ghoulish Goulash and your variations, depending on how pressed for time/drunk etc you may be. Personally, I like plenty of tomatoes in a goulash and I don’t think you’ll miss the stock, though it may be good to add the garlic if you can. So good luck with your entertaining.
Re Kathy Kirby – she used to spend a lot of time with her lover in the house opposite the one I grew up in Leeds. Sure you really needed to know that…
btw blatant plug for my new blog, which is about kitchen gadgets so not completely off topic. http://www.whatshotinthekitchen.com xx
I have it on good authority that the CHARGE considered the meal his best since arriving in Old Blighty. So 10 cheers for Aunt Jen who discarded a cracking good night at The Moors Bar, no doubt, to ensure the nutrition of young student Isaac took a break from the less experienced concoctions created in the residence’s kitchen with whom he shares at the moment.
I will be attempting Vincents Goulish Goulash this week and will probably lean towards plenty of tomatoes. My gadget of preference at the moment is the Pressure Cooker, the secret being to let it sit for a wee while before serving.
What a fantastic city Sydney is…. certainly debauchery is there if you so seek, but I just remember lots of laughter, accompanied by fabulous, creative vegetarian meals by said blogger… but I do so love meat, so thank you Vincent.
Aww Mr Snowshoe – your comment brought a tear to my glass eye! Sooo lovely. Yes, Sydney. Land of the enormous dance party. We sure did have some wild old nights! Shall get the CHARGE over again sometime soon, I’m not happy with the idea of him living on Pot Noodles or whatever it is students eat these days.
Let me know how your Goulash turned out The pressure cooker is a device of which I know nothing. Although I do love me a kitchen device so now you’ve mentioned it will keep my eyes peeled in charity shops up and down the land.
Love to you my darling Kiwi chum xx