22. Beef stroganoff















Ingredients


500g beef, fillet, trimmed of fat and cut into strips
2 onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp sunflower oil
45g Butter
350g button mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp plain flour
300ml Soured cream
1 pinch salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 pinch Paprika, or cayenne pepper


Method

1. Heat half the oil in a wide, heavy frying pan over a high heat and fry half the beef for a few minutes until lightly browned.

2. Scoop out into a bowl and repeat with the remaining beef, adding a little more oil if necessary.

3. Reduce the heat to medium, add half the butter to the pan, and when foaming, add the mushrooms. Fry until tender and browned. Scrape out into the bowl.

4. Next, melt the remaining butter in the pan and add the onions. Stir them around and cook gently until soft and golden.

5. Return the mushrooms and beef to the pan. Sprinkle over the flour, stir well and fry for a little longer.

6. Finally add the soured cream, salt and pepper and cook gently for another 2-3 minutes until the sauce is rich and thick. Taste and adjust seasoning.

7. Spoon into a serving dish, and dust lightly with paprika or cayenne.

Cook's Notes: This method of preparing beef takes its name from one of the members of the famous Stroganov family of Imperial Russia. Although this dish has, in the West, almost come to symbolise the cooking of Russia, it is, in fact, extremely rarely prepared in Russian homes today. Mostly, it appears on the menus of high-class restaurants for foreign tourists.