Genealogy Forum UK

I've got an Hungarian Goulash cooking in a slow cooker at the moment, but what I am asking is...

I can put the actual pot (which is separate from the cooker part) onto the gas hob to fry the various ingredients until softened before putting the pot into the cooker. Does it make any difference to the taste by frying everything first, or is it just as easy not to fry first?

The flavours will be different, only you can decide which you prefer. Sometimes onion and garlic can spoil the flavour of dishes if too 'raw' but that rarely happens in a slow cooker.

According to an American foodie site I'm a member of, scientists have discovered that the browned meat & veg (and it has to be browned not just turned to grey) contains more umami so is more desirable but in my opinion to get authentic tastes one should follow the traditional way of cooking.

In some stew type recipes where traditionally the cooking pot is metal then, even if everything is chucked in raw, the stuff on the bottom (nearest the flame) gets a good browning (which is why they should be stirred to mix the flavours through and to prevent burning), but for dishes like tagines, which were made in crockery pots which can't take direct heat so well, the ingredients are allowed to simmer gently, so doesn't brown, and should only be stirred at the end as one uses very little extra liquid and you don't want the liquor to escape as steam.

Personally, if I'm making the kind of chicken and veg stew that my Black Country Aunt Minnie used to make, I don't brown the meat and veg but poach them gently in the stock because the delicate flavours that she achieved are what I'm aiming for, but if I'm making steak & kidney in the way of my Black Country Grandmother Fanny then I do brown the meat and onions because I want that extra oomph of flavour.

Thank you so much SRD for your advice. The goulash was absolutely delicious with Ken (my husband) even saying it tasted better than the one he had at our local pub Will definitely do it again by frying first.

Thanks again.

BC Wench wrote:Thank you so much SRD for your advice. The goulash was absolutely delicious with Ken (my husband) even saying it tasted better than the one he had at our local pub Will definitely do it again by frying first.

Thanks again.

what you recipe

My slow cooker has a separate cooking pot which I can put onto the hob and when everything is done, I can then transfer that cooking pot into the base unit of the slow cooker.

500g stewing steak, cubed
30g seasoned flour
3tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper or red or yellow, de-seeded & chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
1tsp paprika
3tbsp tomato puree
3tsps mixed herbs (I only use 2tsps)
200ml beef stock
200g tinned tomatoes, roughly chopped (I use 400g tin)
200ml red wine (optional)
3tsp worcestershire sauce
1 pinch of nutmeg
Salt & pepper

Coat the meat with seasoned flour.
Heat the oil in the cooking pot and fry the onions, peppers, carrots and celery until soft.
Add the meat and fry until seared.
Add the paprika, tomato puree, nutmeg, mixed herbs & seasoning & cook for a further 2 minutes.
Add the stock, tomatoes, red wine & worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer.
Transfer to the slow cooker & cook for approximately 5-7 hours on the Medium setting.

thanks

I made this the other evening...with wild rice.

We Loved it!
A couple of portions in the freezer for another day!
I will make it again too
Thank you!

Glad you enjoyed it Jo.