January Recipe

Meatball Goulash

This is definitely going to warm you up on a cold winters night! It’s a Delia recipe but I’ve adapted it slightly as I found there wasn’t enough sauce and there was definitely too much paprika!. I served it with tagliatelle as per her suggestion but I think it would work well with mash potato too. The minced meats make it quite economical too.

Meatballs

350g each of minced pork and minced beef

1/2 a red pepper

1 small onion

1 big clove of garlic crushed

2 tbsp of fresh parsley chopped

50 g of breadcrumbs

1 large egg

1 tbsp of seasoned flour

2 tbsp of olive oil

Salt and pepper

Chop the pepper and onion really small –I did mine in a processor with the parsley. Put all the ingredients (except the olive oil and flour) into a large bowl and mix thoroughly (using your hands is the best way – take your rings off). Make small meatballs by putting about a dessert spoon into your hands and rolling around until you have about 24 balls. Toss them very gently into the seasoned flour. Heat the oil in a large casserole dish and fry the balls until they are nicely brown – do it in batches and be patient and gentle with them. It will get smokey so be warned. Put them to one side while you sort the sauce out.

Goulash Sauce

1 medium onion chopped

/2 red pepper chopped

1 clove garlic crushed

1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp hot paprika

Beef stock cube

Red wine – about a glassful

Pre-heat the oven to 140c Put the onions and the pepper into the casserole you just used to fry the meatballs. After 5 mins of scraping up all the crusty meat bits add the garlic and fry gently for another minute. Add the paprika and the dregs of the seasoned flour and mix thoroughly before adding the tomatoes.

Use the tomato tin to measure the same amount of water and add a stock cube. Splash in the wine until you have a decent amount of sauce. Bring it up to a simmer and then gently put the meatballs in. Cover the casserole with a tight fitting lid and put into the oven for 11/2 hours.

Serve with tagliatelle tossed with poppy seeds and a good dollop of crème fraiche.

Enjoy with the rest of the red wine.