I just realised that it is Valentines weekend and I completely forgot to do my traditional anti, Valentines post. Oh well, maybe I’ll pretend it was an intentional snub and go back to making anchovy soup and potted beef heart next year. Anti-Valentines Day!
Have you ever had a vegetarian dish that was based on a traditional meat dish only to find that the flavor lacked any resemblance to the original dish? I have, too many times, so I decided to tackle the problem through a few tried and true techniques that I call “the meat treatment”. No, I am not suggesting the addition of eat to a vegetarian diet, but treating the vegetable as if it was meat a more complex, flavorful dish.
The dish I have chosen to revamp is one of my favorites, the very hearty and delicious Czech style goulash. The most popular Czech style is very different from the Hungarian style goulash which is much more widely known here in America. Instead of a stew-like dish it is something more akin to a braised steak and I adore it. As a matter of fact, I adore the Czech Republic and Czech food period, but that is a subject best explored another time*.
Before I tackled the vegetarian conversion I decided to do a little research on the subject and came up, well, a little scared. Here in the United States there aren’t a lot of resources for Czech recipes. I ended up trolling the internet reading recipes from people who swear their great-grandmother clutched the recipe to her heart as she walked from Prague barefoot in the snow to get to the boat embarking for America. Most of these recipes were heavy with ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. There are so many things historically wrong with those statements I am not even sure where to begin. So instead of emailing each recipe author personally to point out their inauthenticity, I messaged my Czech/American friend and expert goulash cook Sam for her tips on the perfect goulash.
According to Sam, you must have a ton of onions. While most of the onions stay in tact, many melt away during the long slow cooking process enriching the gravy. Next, the paprika must be fresh and should be doled out with measuring cups instead of teaspoons. I ate a lot of goulash when Phil and I were in the Czech Republic five years ago and it was always a deep dark brick red color. So when I see a recipe that calls for so little paprika that it doesn’t even tint the gravy I know it is not for me. Then there is the braising liquid, according to Sam it must be beer, preferably a nice Czech Pilsner. I had never had goulash this way until she let me in on this little secret and she was right, it really does make all the difference. The last piece of the goulash puzzle was the addition of caraway. The fragrance and flavor is gorgeous with meat while at the same time blending beautifully into the mushroom version. Now I had the traditional elements down, it was time to tackle the vegetarian conversion.
One of the most obnoxious things I find in when a beloved favorite is converted to become vegetarian is the seemingly random addition of things like cider vinegar. I am not sure what the point is, but often I find it accents acidic flavors where they should be deepened and it takes away from those familiar flavors I seek from a dish like this. Here, I add flavor through searing and browning to deepen flavors through method instead of simply piling on multiple ingredients. I sear the crimini and portobello mushrooms** like you would a piece of meat to be braised. The depth it adds is incredible and it increases the mushrooms meaty qualities. As for the onions I like to get them nice and brown throughout. Make sure to brown them evenly on a lower setting, because if they go too fast you will end up with onions that are half burned, half raw and instead of a sweet rich flavor the gravy will be sharp and without depth.
I did add crimini and enoki mushrooms to the mix and the deviation is simple; a mushroom does not fill most people up as a piece of pork or beef would. I wanted to give the dish more substance than just a giant mushroom sitting in sauce.
The final piece of the goulash puzzle are the dumplings. Traditionally, Czech goulash is served with bread dumplings, but as hard as I tried I just could not warm to them. I have issues with mushy bread, so I came up with a simple alternative that emphasizes the rustic nature of the dish, while maintaining its hearty nature. I simply roasted a few Yukon Gold potatoes, cooled them and sliced them up to serve in place of the dumplings. It was a great alternative.
I do hope you enjoy my way of converting this nostalgic comfort food into a vegetarian feast. And remember, the next time you want to eliminate the meat in an old favorite that often times the same methods apply and simplicity is best.
Portobello Goulash
2 TBS Olive Oil, or so
4 Yellow Onions, sliced very thin
2 TBS Flour
8 Portobello Mushrooms, wiped clean and ends trimmed to be even with the cap
8 ounces Crimini Mushrooms, wiped clean, ends trimmed and sliced
1 bunch Enoki Mushrooms, ends trimmed
1/4 to 1/3 cup Paprika
1 tsp Caraway, lightly toasted
2 tsp Freshly Ground Pepper
Sea Salt, to taste
24 ounces Pilsner, at room temp
In a large pot warm some the olive oil over medium heat and brown your onions with a little salt, turning down the heat as necessary, so not to burn the onions. Allow them to slow cook until they are golden and soft.
In a separate pan, heat a bit of olive oil over medium heat to sear the portobello and crimini mushrooms on each side until they are nice and brown. You may need to work in stages to ensure proper browning on all of the mushrooms.
When the onions are soft and golden, stir in the flour and cook for a moment before deglazing the pot with half of the beer. Add in the paprika, caraway, salt and pepper give a good stir then add in the mushrooms and remaining beer. Cover and simmer for two hours.
After the two hours are up, remove the lid add in the enoki mushrooms and cook down until the mixture is very thick. It should be about 1/3 of what it was. Serve with roasted potatoes.
Note: If you prefer, slice up the portobellos and serve the sauce with egg noodles instead. A good blob of Greek yogurt works well with this.
* Phil and I spent several days in the Czech Republic about five years ago. It was winter and there was a beautiful and constant dusting of snow on the ground. I am dying to go back and explore the country further.
** I love portobello mushrooms, but if I see one more menu featuring them marinated in port I will scream.
Don’t forget the sauerkraut!!!
And Richard is appalled that you’ve used a Czech beer with a Hungarian dish. Don’t worry, I’ll hit him.
Leslie, I have never had it with sauerkraut, it s good or are you just weird?
Yes, please give him a good sock in the arm for me
. If it was a Hungarian dish it would have been a grievous mistake and my quarter Hungarian husband would have been appalled. Actually, he would have just shrugged and cracked open another!
Well, I think everything is good with sauerkraut but when Sam made it for me we ate it with sauerkraut mixed with even more caraway seeds. I liked it and have had it that way whenever I’ve made it.
Les, I am all over that, I love sauerkraut and caraway for that matter. I tried to put more caraway in this recipe, but combined with the mushrooms it became slightly bitter. I look for reasons to use caraway and actually have a caraway beer bread recipe I am going to post sometime.
For dumplings, how about cheating and using gnocchi for the dumplings? A Czech-Italian Goulash! Are they called ‘Crimini’ mushrooms because they were first grown by Disney and when you threaten them with cooking they squeak, “Crimini!”? Wot? It could happen.
Wow! This sounds fab.
Mushrooms are now on the shopping list. It is the perfect weather here for these warm hearty dishes. I am happy to add another meat free day to our week!
Griffin, I am sure that would be tasty, polenta too.
Debbie, Yay! I hope you like it!
BTW, forgot to add, that it doesn’t matter that you didn’t do your anti valentines post…. like me you simply did not do a gushy post. You pretended that it did not exist.
I like the sentiment behind valentines, but hate the commercialism, so we never celebrate it. We tend to treat each other to a card or a little token present whenever the mood strikes us, rather than wait for one day a year.
Anyway, off to the shops now to get in the groceries….. yummy goulash on our menu this week!
Debbie, I like it!
I just can’t understand how a day of manufactured romance is so appealing to so many people. Then again, maybe we are just very lucky to have partners who don’t need help from the folks at Hallmark!
I hope you like it! Leslie sent me an email yesterday to say hers turned out delicious.
It was ever so delicious and I had a lot of the sauce left over so I’m gonna stew some beef in it today. I can’t wait!
I heart mushrooms on *any* day of the year..
To Change the subject, (BTW is there an acronym for that?)
is the problem solving section here still in the works? I don’t have a problem, just asking!
Les, That’s awesome! I am so glad you enjoyed it and are putting the extras to good use.
Rosemary, I have a page devoted to that, it is listed under the Main Menu located close to the top on the right hand side. Just leave a comment, and I’ll try to help in the reply. I had planned to set up forums, but just haven’t gotten around to doing the research to see if people will use them.
Erin, Homemade sauerkraut is incredibly easy to make and is far and away better than anything in a jar. I find it better even than the “homemade” sauerkraut at the butcher. It takes just a few minutes to prepare and a few days to ferment. It comes out nice and crunchy and apparently is really healthy! Sam is the sauerkraut guy in our family – sweet memories from his German Oma. I like the home made stuff, but can do without the rest of it.
He used a recipe from Sandor Katz’s book Wild Fermentation. (He has also been fermenting grains for his bread repertoire. His bread is become very complex and interesting)
Donna, I am going to look for that book! Thanks for the recommendation, I am a nut for sauerkraut.
My grandmother had an antique slicer for sauerkraut, I’ll have to ask my dad if he has it.
I am devastated! No mushrooms available except those tiny champignons de Paris.
Of course now my tastebuds are fixed for this dish and my mind is obsessing over how I can find big, tasty, meaty mushrooms….lol
Debbie, Oh no! Isn’t that always the way? You can change it up with whatever mushrooms you like, but when you have your heart set on something its just not right.
I would have gone for almost any other mushroom, but the champignon de Paris are just too delicate a flavour to stand up to a robust dish like this.
Not to worry…. I am going into another part of Paris today and shall keep my eyes open for what I need whilst there.
Beautiful recipe. Reading it made my mouth water for a bite. And now I am terribly hungry and craving this dish and there is no way I am going to find this anywhere now or in the near future or be able to even recreate it! Now I’m miserable and hungry- I blame you Erin!
Thank you Bordeaux. I happily accept your blame and don’t feel the slightest twinge of guilt! After all, even though this dish is wonderful, I’d happily trade it to be gallivanting around Taiwan!
I can relate to the conversion as I recently made a Mushroom Bourguignonne (got from the Amateur Gourmet) which was excellent. Wouldn’t have thought it possible. Also, the onions – I read the directions in making a French Onion Soup to cook very slowly over low, low heat, until they were a deep, dark brown, and it was 9 hours later that we decided they and I had had enough. I guess the heat could have been a bit higher?? But, tasted excellent the next day in the finished soup.
Oh my goodness Claudia, I’d certainly say so!
I love the beer pairing! People totally underestimate how great beer is with food. Some even believe it’s better with food than wine is. Cheers~
Thank you wine blog, I love pairings that stretch beyond the usual boundaries. Welcome to The Endive Chronicles!