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I've changed the recipe a little, having added salted cucumber and red pepper. Fillet of beef is a must. It is important that it remains rare inside when it's mixed with the sauce and then only carefully reheated; the sauce must not boil. Otherwise the meat will get hard. One story about the origin of beef Stroganoff is that count Stroganoff had so bad teeth that the meat had to be cut up before serving. There are so many versions of this dish so it's hard to say what is 'original'. This is my version. I think rice is the best choice to beef Stroganoff. Some recipes call for fried potatoes or French fries but I think that makes it too greasy.

3-4 servings

Ingredients

500 g fillet of beef, trimmed and cut in 1½ cm/½" strips.
4 tbsp butter
150 g mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tsp wheat flour
0.3 litre beef stock
0.2 litre crème fraîche
1 heaped tbsp tomato purée
1 heaped tbsp unsweetened mustard (e.g. Dijon)
2 tbsp finely chopped red bell pepper
2 tbsp finely chopped pickled (salted) cucumber
Dash of lemon juice (optional, to taste)
A few drops of Tabasco (optional, to taste)
Salt, pepper

Method

Sautée mushrooms in 2 tbsp of the butter.



When cooked, add onion and flour. Cook for a few minutes more.



Add stock and bring to a boil, stirring. Boil and reduce by 1/3.



Add crème fraîche and boil/reduce to a creamy sauce.



Add mustard, tomato purée, cucumber and red pepper.



Stir and season to taste. Set aside.



In a heavy skillet, brown the fillet strips quickly on maximum heat in the remaining butter. They must be rare inside.



Pour off remaining fat from the skillet. Stir in the sauce and reheat for a while (do not boil!).



Serve with rice.

Ah, as they say, "There's more than one way to skin a rabbit!".

For me - hot oil, touch of garlic and shallot, then flash fry the fillet steak, add a little sour cream and S & P to the pan juices and serve. If you want to be really posh, sprinkle with a little paprika for colour. To improve it? Double the amount of steak! l

Phi

No mustard or tomato purée? As said, this dish exists in innumerable varieties. I can imagine how deliciously yours tastes. I'd like to try that, but I bet one has to have top quality meat for that because of the simplicity.

Sometimes a little grain mustard for a change, but I've never though of adding tomato - I must try your recipe (but fillet steak is a rare treat, so it won't be that soon!).

Phil