Provençal goulash

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• 600 g beef, for goulash (ideal: ham)
• 2 shallots
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp juniper berries
• 1 tsp black pepper, whole
• 1 ½ tsp thyme, dried
• 1 ½ tsp rosemary, dried
• 2 garlic cloves
• 100 ml cognac
• 300 ml wine, red, French
• 500 ml beef broth or other bouillon
• Salt
• pepper
• olive oil
• 30 g porcini mushrooms, dried
• Thyme, fresh and rosemary as desired
• 1 orange(s), juice squeezed

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 3 hours; Total time approx. 3 hours 30 minutes

fruity, spicy and hot with oranges, porcini mushrooms, cognac and peppercorns

Cut the meat into approximately 2 cm cubes, sear in olive oil, remove from the pan, season with salt, pepper, thyme, and rosemary, and set aside. Finely dice the shallots and fry in the pan (with a little more oil if necessary); add the garlic. Stir in the bay leaves, juniper berries, and peppercorns and fry briefly. Deglaze with cognac and reduce; deglaze with red wine a second time and reduce again. Return the meat to the pan, pour in the soup, and simmer gently for two hours, covered. Chop the dried porcini mushrooms (this works best with scissors!) and add to the goulash. Add the orange juice, stir through, and simmer gently for another hour. Stir occasionally, adding more liquid if necessary, or reducing further—depending on the desired consistency of the sauce. Season the sauce to taste and season with fresh herbs, if desired. I enjoy this with green beans wrapped in cured ham and fried, along with good French country bread and a full-bodied French red wine. Alternatively, for a more generally Mediterranean flavor, polenta and/or hearty zucchini would also be a good side dish. The dish can be prepared the day before, up until you add the porcini mushrooms and orange juice—it’s an ideal meal for guests, and then it’s finished cooking while the appetizer and starter are served. The meat is buttery tender after the long cooking time, but please make sure you buy the right quality for goulash!