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Hungarian Goulash via Viking River Cruises

Viking River Cruises Hungarian Goulash

While cruising on the Danube Waltz Christmas Markets river cruise on Viking River Cruises, I sampled food from Germany, Austria and Hungary.  One dish that stands out was the Goulash in Budapest, Hungary. The classic dish, which originated with the with Hungary’s herdsmen, is a staple on most menus in the capital city as well as a popular item at the Christmas Markets.

Cruise passengers sailing on the Danube River can look forward to enjoying a bowl of Goulash. In the meantime, below is the recipe and directions for making the Viking River Cruises Hungarian Goulash.

Viking River Cruises Hungarian Goulash

In the photo above, I captured our chef standing by to welcome guests back from an evening in Vienna; The big batch of warm Hungarian Goulash was a welcome treat.

Ingredients:

One and a half to two pounds boneless chuck, trimmed of fat
Two medium onions, chopped
Two tablespoons vegetable oil
Two tablespoons sweet paprika
One-half teaspoon whole peppercorns
One-half teaspoon ground caraway seeds
Three large bay leaves
One sweet pepper, seeded and sliced
One large tomato, peeled and chopped into large chunks
Three medium carrots, peeled and sliced
Two medium parsnips, peeled and sliced
Two large boiling potatoes, peeled and sliced
One whole garlic, peeled and finely chopped
One egg
About one tablespoon flour
Salt to taste

Directions:

In a large covered stockpot, sauté onions lightly in vegetable oil with a bit of salt if desired, then cover and leave on low heat for a few minutes until onions are tender. Cut beef into one-inch cubes. Remove onions from heat and add paprika to the pot; stir. Add peppercorns, bay leaves, meat, sweet pepper and tomato. Add enough water to cover and simmer over low heat until meat is soft and tender; allow 1.5 hours.

To make csipetke noodles, break one egg into a bowl and scramble. Remove two-thirds of the egg and add a dash of salt. Add flour gradually and knead with your hands until you have a firm, smooth ball of dough. Dust a plate with flour to prevent sticking; pinch off small pea-sized dumplings from the dough ball, roll each one between your fingers and put on the floured plate.

Uncover the pot and check to see if the meat is tender; if not, continue simmering for another few minutes and check again. Once the meat is tender, add the carrots, turnips, garlic, caraway seeds and enough water to cover (or more if you prefer a more liquid consistency). After 10 minutes, add the potatoes. Continue simmering for 20 more minutes or until all ingredients are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the csipetke noodles 5 minutes before you are done cooking; remove bay leaves before serving.

Makes 6–8 servings.