Recipe: Five Pepper Goulash

This is one of my winter favourites and much loved in my household; you really want to take as long as possible to cook it to mature the flavours.

Gochujang (Korean malted red pepper paste) is my secret ingredient for this dish and while it seems out of place in a European dish it adds a richness to the pepper flavour and brings instant umame - you can buy it at most Asian supermarkets in large tubs. If you can't find it you should substitute Red Pepper Relish or 3 tbpsn of Worcestershire sauce and 1 tbspn of sugar to ensure the same savoury depth.

Five Pepper Goulash

500g beef
4 strips bacon and/or 2 tbspn purified bacon grease
1 brown onion
2 gloves garlic
2 capsicum (bell pepper)
2 fresh chilies (birds eye)
2 tbspn smoked paprika
1 tbspn red chilli flakes
2  tbspn gochujang
1 can crushed or diced tomatoes
1 small tin (170g) tomato paste
2 cups beef stock
1 cup red wine
oil for frying
salt and pepper
1/2 cup sour cream

Method

• In a large stock pot heat a pool of oil the size of your palm. Dice the onion and add to the pot then cook on a medium heat until the onions have sweated
• Dice the bacon and fry with the onion, if you keep bacon grease on hand you can use this in place of the bacon since we only want the smoke infusion. 
• If you're feeling indulgent you can also subsitute the bacon for chorizo which adds more paprika with the pork flavour.
• Dice the bell pepper and fresh chilli and fry with the onion / bacon mix until softened
• Mince or finely chop the garlic and add to the vegetable mix
• Cube the beef into bite sized chunks and add to the pot, stir occasionally on medium heat until the meat is browned
• Once the beef is cooked add the dried peppers - the chilli flakes and smoked paprika. Stir fry until the chilli is fragrant and the meat well coated.
• Add the crushed tomatoes and stir well, once incorporated add the beef stock, tomato paste, gochujang and red wine in that order. Don't be tempted to add them all at once, you want each ingredient to add to the mixture before adding the next.
• Leave to simmer for around 20 minutes and then taste, this ensures that the tomato paste is cooked down and the alcohol is cooked out of the wine.
• Season with salt, pepper and if desired more smoked paprika then leave to simmer on a low heat for as long as possible - 2 - 4 hours is ideal.
• If too much of the liquid boils off add 1 cup of water or a low sodium beef stock to the pot and continue to simmer.
• Turn the heat off for 5 mins before serving. If you like a creamy goulash add the sour cream and fold gently through the sauce or serve as I have with 1-2 tbspns on top of each serving. 
• Serve on top of buttered noodles, mashed potato or with hot sliced bread. Garnish with small bell pepper slices and sprinkle with smoked paprika. 

Review: Restauracja Wesele, Krakow

Wesele is another of the Michelin starred restaurants owned by the same group as Mod Molina and Marmolada. Meaning "The Wedding" and named for the Stanisław Wyspiański play this restaurant is aimed squarely at offering a Polish family style cuisine and dining experience to tourists in Krakow.

Situated directly on the Old Square you can of course take in the gorgeous views of the Rynek Glowny and the Artisan Hall from the outside seating.

We however were dining on a busy tourist day and the crowds on the square were of little interest so instead we decided to take in the quaint traditional setting inside the restaurant. The entire restaurant is decked out in country style Polish furniture with wait staff in traditional clothing; it's every bit as magical as the square itself.

Chripiaca grillowana kaszanska z cebulka serwowana z kapustka zasmazana (Grilled black pudding with onion served with fried cabbage) 17PLN

Black pudding is hard to come by in the US where I currently live so it was time to indulge in a local version. This is a rough chopped version with bulgar wheat, more akin to a haggis than Irish or French style blood sausage. The pudding is spiced perfectly and served with the ubiquitous cabbage and sweet onions to compliment the savoury meat 

Polska specjalnosc: kotlet schabowy z kostka panierowany z kapustka zasmazana i ziemniaczkami zasmazanyrni z kpoerkiem (Polish specialty: pork chop with fried cabbage and fried potatoes with dill) 36PLN

Heart warming and familiar this Milanese/Vienna Schnitzel style breaded cutlet is a good example of a traditional dish. Served with creamy buttered cabbage and country style home fries this is a great hearty dish after trekking up and down hills in Old Krakow. Down it with a local Żywiec lager and have a little Germanic influenced treat Polish style.

Buraczki zasmazane (Fried Beetroot) 8PLN 

Finding vegetables in Poland that are not purely starch can be difficult; one of the best options is usually beets. Bright and tart they cut through the heavy pork and cabbage dishes well. This preparation of fried grated beetroot became my favourite side dish on this trip. 

The restaurant is what you expect of  one of this quality - service is attentive, a full service bar is available and the atmosphere is cosy and pleasant. As with many restaurants on the square in the Old Town the prices are high for locals but very affordable for tourists. I stopped here for a drink in the evening but found it quiet and a little stilted; I would definitely recommend stopping for lunch and enjoying the bustle of the square during the day. 

Restauracja Wesele

http://www.weselerestauracja.pl/

High end family style Polish food

Snapshot: Krakowska Manafaktura Czekolady

Krakow makes wonderful sweets; sticky sweet drinks, perfect parfaits, warming spiced cakes and fruit specialties abound. You can easily lose count of the number of chocolate makers around the Old Town but this chocolate store and cafe was a real highlight for me and a great place to pick up souvenirs.

Upstairs is a gorgeous coffee shop with quaint doilies and personalised crockery. The staff speak minimal English but do offer an English menu. 

They serve amazing hot chocolates and coffees.

Or if you prefer they'll serve you an entire cup of melted chocolate straight from their kitchens.

Downstairs is a veritable wonderland of chocolate purchases. Many of these are just novelty formations of pure chocolate in white, milk and dark. Adult items could be found for buck's and hen's nights, touristy formations of Krakow Dragons and Castles or Christian symbols for Easter. 

If you're looking for a reasonably priced gift in Krakow they offer a number of pure chocolate tablets gift boxed with the Krakow Castle on them. 

For a more upscale gift consider getting a box of handmade chocolates. Krakowska Manafaktura Czekolady make gorgeous marzipans from a variety of nuts, cream truffles and liqueur fruits. They offer gift boxing that is designed to endure a flight home. 

Krakowska Manafaktura Czekolady

http://chocolate.krakow.pl/gb/ 

Upscale chocolate store and cafe

Review: Marmolada, Krakow Poland

The owners of Marmolada have several of the most highly rated restaurants in the old town of Krakow but of those I ate at this was my favourite. Like a lot of cuisines from Central and Eastern Europe Polish food is heavy and focuses on meat and pickles. Great for warming up but expect to hunt for green vegetables and salad - sparkling water helps cut through the fat. 

Its place directly on Rynek Glowny (the stunning Krakow Mediaeval square) makes it expensive by Polish standards but the average Western tourist will find the "lavish" prices somewhat economic. For the most part the USD stays steady at around 3PLN, so divide prices by 3 for translation to USD.

Pierogi z farszem z miesa - w piecu zpiakane (Meat filled dumplings with onion and crackling) 19PLN

I will take dumplings over almost any other food regardless of the culture, so I came to Poland ready for pierogi and lot of them. These were excellent, lightly fried and then oven baked they will remind many of gyoza/pot stickers but with a richer slow cooked meat filling. These were easily the best example I had while in Poland and at less than $7 for a plate served charmingly in its pan this is worth a stop. 

Poledwica wolowa najprzediesjszego gatunku - wypieczona wedlug uznania z sosem z zielonego pieprzu (Beef tenderloin in a green pepper sauce) 56PLN

A well cooked beef tenderloin steak, while you can get this anywhere the creamy rich Polish sauces are worth checking out. 

Sledz tradycycyjny marynowany z cebulka w oliwie przedniego gatunku (Salted herring marinated with onion and olive oil) 14PLN

Nothing says grey European skies like cold salted herring; my only surprise was that this wasn't for breakfast. Sadly I cannot comment because herring with creamy salads is a course I'll skip. The recipient seemed to enjoy it, if you're into that kind of thing. 

Rozgrzewajacy gulasz wolowy z suszonymi grzbami, rozmarynem i aromatycznym tymiankiem (Beef goulash with aromatics) 24PLN

Goulash is the other dish I love to eat in this part of the world - slow cooked spicey and creamy stew heavy on the paprika and herbs. Try it with knedle (Polish spatzle) or kopytka (Polish gnocchi) for a warm filling comfort meal. 

Meals are served separately to side dishes, so be aware when ordering that vegetables or starches will need to be ordered separately. This has the advantage in a group meal of being able to mix up side dishes "family style". 

Steamed Green Vegetables 8PLN

We were glad to see these and surprised to find them lacking in crackling or oil. After endless Pork you too would be joyed to see plain vegetables. 

Pan fried potato wedge 8PLN

Fried potatoes, golden crispy and well cooked; perfect with a hearty Polish meat dish. 

Mizeria (Cucumber Salad) 8PLN

Looking for something a bit lighter? Cucumbers are one of the reliably available green sides and almost always served with sour cream. This sour cream was rich and thick, more like a creme fraiche and mixed with fresh dill. Perfect to cut through the heavier dishes. 

The Polish do good coffee, so stop at the end of the meal for an Espresso. If you've room after the heavy food you should definitely try a local pastry as Krakow is famous for its delicious fruit and nut based desserts. 

Szarlotka prosto z pieca jakiej na pewno nie jadles z lodami waniliowymi (Apple pie with vanilla ice cream) 13PLN

Shown without the ice cream due to the dairy intolerants at the meal. Delicous buttery short crust pastry filled with local apple and spices. They sell these streusel topped pies and slices everywhere, excellent with a strong cup of coffee. 

Tradycyjni delikatny sernik krakowski z gorzka czekolada, na cieplo podany (Traditional Krakow cheesecake served warm with bitter chocolate sauce) 15PLN

We debated for some time about this dish before confirming with the waitress; this was no translation error but indeed a hot cheesecake. Curious we ordered and shared it. A familiar semi sweet ricotta based cheese cake is warmed in the oven and served with chocolate sauce. I can't help but feel this would have been better warm and stuffed with fruit like raisins or cherries. 

There is some debate on Yelp and TripAdvisor that this restaurant deserves its fame and (contextually) hefty price tag. Most of the arguments seem to be about poor table placement. Like many restaurants in Stare Miesto this is housed in a Mediaeval (14th Century AD) building and thus space can be a little cramped. We had a large group and so fared very well, I would suggest if you are alone or in a pair that you are specific about your seating requirements.

The service was good, the food excellent and the atmosphere lovely. The delightful building of antiquity is furnished with homey feeling Polish furnishings and there was a delightful live music duo throughout our dinner. Bonus points for playing Satie, Nyman and Tiersen throughout the meal I couldn't have picked a better play list if I tried.

Marmolada

http://marmoladarestauracja.pl/

Upscale traditional Polish food
Famous without feeling touristy

Review: Essen, Ultimo

Thankfully Daniel has gone home to Brisbane because otherwise I would be putting my fat pants back on and I have a great desire to eat nothing but salad sandwiches and diet coke for a while. *bloat*



One day when travelling for work I took Daniel to Una's and he fell in love. If you like plain hearty "boy" food it's hard to go past Austro-Bavarian feeds. Sometime in the recent past there has been a split of the Una's group and the Broadway location is now Essen (to eat!). To be honest other than the name not much has changed, though I will admit that the owner/manager now looks a lot happier and a little chubbier so I'd say that it's been a good change for all of them.



The menu is traditional Bavarian and heavy on meat, fried foods and starch perfect for the northern climes. It is all pure comfort food though and just excellent when you're feeling down, or cold, or you just have a need for some fried food and a homestyle meal.



Absinthe $6.50

While we're delighted that they have absinthe at all it seems a little strange when it comes out as a shot and we have to flag down the drinks waiter to bring water.



"Gypsy" schnitzel with rosti $21.00

This dish is so good that 3 of our 4 dining table order it; this makes for slightly boring blogging but very high accolades. I order it in veal because wiener schnitzel has been a lifelong favourite, the other diners order chicken. The schnitzel is huge and as always there is a small layer folded on itself that is not sauced. For me this is excellent as I put asside the unsauced sections and eat them last with salt and lemon in the traditional style. After weeks of dieting and several days of heavy eating the Rosti are a bit too buttery for me and I leave much of this behind, but they are rather good especially on a cold winter's day.



Wurst teller $22.00

We are a little disappointed that the old Una's Worst Topf has been replaced by this Wurst Teller; really the difference is nill as it's purely down to presentation but it now comes in a flat bowl rather than a traditional crock pot. The pot used to add a little mystery and excitement when it came out and gave a small unveiling. But still the food is excellent, acidic and sweet sauerkraut is topped with a bread dumpling and strong gravy with 3 types of sausage (Csabai, Bratwurst and Weisswurst). It is a very heavy meal though and the boy cannot finish the entire plate.

After the hearty food there's no room for dessert however I have eaten dessert here in the past and their strudels are worth trying to find the space.

Essen Restaurant and Beer Cafe
http://www.essenrestaurant.com.au
133-135 broadway
2007 ultimo
Ph. 92113805
Fax. 92122955
Email. functions@essenrestaurant.com.au

Mon - Sun: open for Lunch and Dinner
Fully licenced
During the winter months book ahead for dinner