Hungarian Goulash with Spaetzle

Preheat your oven to 325ºF and turn on your convection fan if you have one.

For the goulash heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the onions, garlic and peppers and slowly cook without browning, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle in the paprika and caraway seeds and continue cooking at very low heat for a minute or two. Toss in the beef, carrots, red wine, bay leaves and salt. Continue cooking just to bring the works to a simmer, then transfer to the oven. Cover and bake until the beef is tender, about 3 hours. Stir in the vinegar.

For the spaetzle in a small bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. In a second bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Stir the two together with a wooden spoon to make a sticky batter. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes allowing the elastic gluten to relax. Ready a large pot of boiling salted water. Using a rubber spatula and a potato box grater force the batter through the largest holes into the boiling water. The batter will sink, and then rise to the top when cooked through, about a minute. Remove with a strainer or slotted spoon and transfer to a service l.

Nestle the spaetzle with the goulash and serve with a dollop of sour cream. This recipe is dedicated to the memory of Ann Szemba, my Hungarian friend who traveled with me to Hungary and taught me this dish.