Beef Stroganoff – do it yourself !

Better to have an excellent Beef Stroganoff at home than a mediocre one in a restaurant… the secret lies in the service à la minute.

Jump to the recipe.

THE MAIN ARGUMENT  Reviving a dish that has unfortunately gone out of fashion, but undoubtably cuts a dash. Sauté the meat is a bit tricky but perfectly manageable – the key is to be quick and serve within seconds.

A BIT OF HISTORY The dish’s origin (as early as 18th century) is unknown. Count Stroganov, after whom it is named, lived in Odessa (Ukraine), but the recipe was immortalised by a French chef in St Petersburg… Be that as it may, by the 20th  beef Stroganoff had conquered the world. This recipe is a Zurich version – Tablonomie’s composite of the dish as prepared at the table by François, the excellent maître d’ of the famous Kronenhalle restaurant in the 1970s, and Elisabeth Fülscher’s recipe dating from 1923. Gault et Millau (1983) offer a very similar version, without mushrooms.

TABLONOMIE’S SIGNATURE : Flambé with cognac – for taste and panache!

GUILTY PLEASURE :  Serve Beef Stroganoff with rich homemade tajarin (divine Italian pasta). Tablonomie’s recipe is here (in French).

TIP : There’s no need to break the bank for fillet – but the beef must be of high quality.  Your butcher will advise. Never buy meat at the supermarket for this recipe.

Tricks: Place all the ingredients within easy reach before starting to cook.

To sear the beef, a heavy stainless steel sauté/frying pan /skillet will be useful.

INGREDIENTS:

• 600 g beef (fillet or other high-quality cut), cut into strips or cubes
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 200 g champignons (button mushrooms)
• 2 large, ripe tomatoes
• 20g butter
• 40 g clarified butter
• 1 tsp flour
• 1 dl beef stock (homemade if possible)
• 2 tbsp white wine
• 1 to 2 tbsp cognac
• 1-2 pinches paprika and/or cayenne (mild or hot – your preference)
• 30 cl or more cream or sour cream
• q.s. lemon juice
• coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)

PREPARATION (Beef Stroganoff – do it yourself !, STEP BY STEP) : SETTING UP:

1 Drop the tomatoes into boiling water to peel them. Remove the seeds and cut them into small cubes. Set aside. Clean the mushrooms, remove the stems and slice.

2 Melt 20g of butter in a frying pan. Sauté onion and shallot over low heat, then add the mushrooms with salt and cook for a further 1 to 2 minutes. Deglaze with white wine. Add the tomatoes and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the beef stock, season lightly with salt and pepper and cook for 5 to 10 minutes.

3 In a skillet, heat the clarified butter to a very high temperature (180 to 200°C) and quickly sear the beef, flipping constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes, no more. Rapidly sprinkle with flour, flipping the meat for another 1 min. Add the cognac. Flambé (optional but excellent for flavour). Pull the pan aside, add cream to taste and stir.

4 Return to medium heat, let bubble up briefly, then add onion, shallot, tomato and mushrooms. Stir and allow the ingredients to warm, but do not allow any further boil. Sprinkle with paprika, taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning. Sprinkle with parsley (optional). Serve immediately on warm plates, with rice (or pasta – see note).

NOTE : Beef Stroganoff is traditionally served with white rice. This dish also is delicious with tajarin or tagliatelle.

WINE : A Beaujolais, particularly a Morgon (Domaine Lapierre is fantastic). A California Zinfandel. Or an excellent red Côtes du Rhône.

Inspiration: Das Fülscher-Kochbuch, 13th edition, Cham, 1995

Photo © c.m. 2023