Ingredients

• 1kg/2lb 4oz braising steak or venison
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• vegetable oil
• 2 medium onions
• diced
• 4 medium carrots
• diced
• 2 celery sticks
• leaves and all
• diced
• 1 red pepper
• seeded and diced
• 5 garlic cloves
• crushed
• 4 tbsp good sweet Hungarian paprika
• 2 tbsp caraway seeds
• crushed
• 60g/4 tbsp tomato purée
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 litres/3½ pints good beef stock
• 4 potatoes
• peeled and chopped into small cubes
• flaked sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• soured cream and flat-leaf parsley
• to garnish

Directions

• Trim the meat and cut it into bite-sized chunks. In a large bowl
• mix the flour with a teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add the beef and toss so that all the chunks are dusted with flour.
• Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan and brown the beef in small batches
• setting each batch aside while you brown the next. Take care not to crowd the pan or the beef will steam rather than brown.
• Meanwhile
• heat a little oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan
• add the onions
• carrots
• celery
• red pepper and garlic. Cook gently for about 10 minutes until they start to soften.
• Add the beef
• paprika
• caraway seeds
• tomato purée and bay leaves
• then pour in the beef stock.
• Stir well
• cover the pan and simmer for at least 1½ hours until the beef is starting to get tender. Add the potatoes and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes. Check the seasoning before serving.
• Serve the soup in bowls with a generous swirl of soured cream and a good sprinkling of parsley.