There are far too many tasty dishes around the world to be listed here in a single article. But, I was curious to find out what the most palatable cuisines are based on the continent. As it turns out, even breaking the world up into continents doesn’t cover the variety of the most delicious cuisines around the world. So, the only way to avoid an endless list of deliciousness and delectability from every corner of the world is to pick one from each continent that could properly represent that continent in particular. In this article, I will discover the most delicious dish in Europe!
The Continent of Europe
Europe is comprised of 44 different countries including but not limited to; Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Greece. There are approximately 742 million people spread out across the continent of Europe and its countries. Each of these countries are vastly different in their cultures, lifestyles, and food! In fact, it was difficult to nail down a “most delectable” dish that would adequately represent the continent of Europe. However, I decided to choose a family favorite, Goulash!
For those that are not familiar with this dish, goulash is a type of stew that consists of meat (usually beef) and vegetables. Goulash originated in the country of Hungary and remains a popular dish in Europe.
Hungarian Goulash recipe
(thanks to www.spendwithpennies.com)
Traditionally, the stew is made during the cooler months of the year as it serves as a warm, comforting meal that can fill the tummies of everyone in the family. Many people will make this recipe and serve it over noodles (usually homemade) or will add a side of biscuits to soak up the extra broth.
Ingredients for Traditional Hungarian Goulash are as follows:
- 2 medium onions
- 2 teaspoons of butter
- 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds
- 2 tablespoons of paprika
- ¼ cup of flour
- 1 ½ pound of stewing beef (should be trimmed and cut into 1” cubes)
- 2 cups of beef broth or water
- 1 cup of canned diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- ¼ teaspoon of pepper
- 1 ½ cup of carrots (optional)
- 3 cups of potatoes (optional)
Cooking instructions for traditional Hungarian Goulash are as follows:
- In a large pot, melt butter and add onion. Cook down until translucent, then stir in the caraway seeds, paprika, and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, cover the beef cubes with flour and then combine the floured beef cubes with the onion mixture in the pot.
- Slowly add ¼ cup of beef broth or water. This will help lift the brown bits off of the bottom of the pan.
- Add remaining broth, diced tomatoes, salt, and pepper. If adding potatoes or carrots, now is the time to add them.
- Stir the stew and bring it to a boil.
- Cover with a pot lid, reduce heat to a simmer for about 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until ingredients are tender.
This is not the way my mom makes goulash, though. I do have to admit that this recipe sounds better than the one I grew up with. The following recipe for goulash is much closer to what I am used to.
Variation of traditional goulash
(thanks to www.dinnerthendessert.com)
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 yellow onions, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 3 cups water
- 29 ounces tomato sauce
- 29 ounces diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 ounces of elbow macaroni, uncooked
Instructions for this goulash recipe are briefly as follows:
- Cook ground beef, onions, bell peppers, and garlic in a large Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Use spatula or wooden spoon to break the best apart and continue until meat is no longer pink.
- Drain most of the fat into a glass container
- Add in remaining ingredients, not macaroni
- Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes
- Add macaroni, mix, cover, and simmer 20 minutes
- Stir occasionally, throughout that 20 minutes and serve
Recipes sourced from www.spendwithpennies.com and www.dinnerthendessert.com
