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Beef Stroganoff perfection...well, I think so!

 I commented in the last couple of blog entries about beef stroganoff and my trials and tribulations: well, I think I have now cracked it! After the awful version that I served my dad and brother, I felt I needed to show them that I could actually cook it for a dinner party setting. 


So, with mum's recipe, and some of her methods, with a slow cooker and tips and hints from the Good Food Facebook group, I succeeded...as follows:

For 3 or 4 people

Ingredients:

225g steak per person

2 level tsp flour, salt and pepper

225g sliced mushrooms

225g chopped onions

1 tsp crushed garlic

1 tbsp oil

50g butter

dash of sherry

dash of lemon juice

1 can of consommé (you might need a second can, or you could just use some extra stock)

150ml sour cream

2 tsp cornflour

The steak...well, because it's going in a slow cooker, it doesn't have to be best quality. I used rump, which obviously is more expensive than stewing steak, but it did turn out gorgeously melting. Mushrooms, I just used plain ordinary ones, but you could go for a deeper flavour with chestnut ones. I used creme fraiche instead of sour cream, but that was what I had in the fridge, and I think it's a silkier taste...plus, it wasn't available to mum when she was first cooking it, in 1967, but she did start using it.

Method:

Turn on slow cooker to high (cooks in 5-6 hours) or low (6-8 hours)

Cut steak into strips, put flour in a small plastic bag, season, and then toss the steak in the flour in the bag.

Heat the oil in a wide frying pan, and cook the steak in batches, making sure not to over crowd the pan. It needs to brown quickly, because lots of the flavour is in the caramelisation. Put each batch into the slow cooker.

Fry the onion and garlic (might need more oil) and tip into the slow cooker. Add the dash of sherry and lemon juice to the frying pan to deglaze the pan, getting all the nice left-over bits, and tip into the slow cooker.

Pour the consommé into the slow cooker, and it should just cover the beef. (Add the second can, or a bit of stock if you need it.) Put the lid on and leave to cook for the right amount of time.

About 30 minutes before serving, melt the butter in the frying pan, and cook the mushrooms until soft and caramelised. Add to the slow cooker. Take out about a ladleful of the liquid, blend it with the cornflour in a small bowl, then pour into the slow cooker, add the creme fraiche, and turn the cooker up to high (if it's not already there) and cook for another 20 minutes.

Serve with rice, or mash, or to be honest, whatever you fancy! I did sprinkle some paprika on at the end, but only a little, just to try...I wasn't keen, but you might be!




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