Crisp Latkes with Beef Goulash and Sauerkraut-Apple Salad
Shredded potato pancakes, slow-braised beef goulash with mushrooms, and a sharp cabbage-and-apple salad.
Method
Goulash: pat the beef dry and season with salt. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high and brown the beef in batches, about 2 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
Lower the heat to medium. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for 8 minutes, until softened and lightly caramelized. Stir in the paprika and caraway and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
Add the tomato paste and stir for 1 minute. Pour in the stock, return the beef to the pot, bring to a simmer, cover, and braise on low for 2 hours, or in a 160°C / 325°F oven.
Add the mushrooms and continue cooking 30 minutes more, until the beef is fork-tender and the sauce is thick. Adjust seasoning.
Salad: combine the sauerkraut, apple, caraway, oil, honey, and a few grinds of pepper in a bowl. Toss and let sit for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Latkes: grate the potatoes and onion on the large holes of a box grater. Toss with 1 teaspoon salt and let sit 5 minutes. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible in a clean towel.
Whisk the egg and flour into the potato mixture along with the pepper.
Heat 3mm of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Pack heaping tablespoons of batter and flatten gently. Fry 3-4 minutes per side, until deeply golden and crisp. Drain on a rack.
Plate: a latke on each warm plate, a generous spoonful of goulash over the top, and a small mound of sauerkraut-apple salad on the side. Serve immediately.
Some courses are dinner. Some are a small argument. This one is the dinner.
— Oysterdrive
The course that means business
The latke is the platform. The goulash is the message. The apple-cabbage salad is the breath of cold air that keeps the whole thing from collapsing under its own richness. This is the loudest course of the night and it is meant to be.
Make the goulash a day ahead. Make the salad an hour ahead. Make the latkes the moment you sit down to eat — they wait for no one and they are at their best within four minutes of the pan. The timing is the recipe.