Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff, an 18th century dish from Russia, became a dinner party staple here in the 1970's, probably due in part from being a well flavoured dish from relatively few ingredients and its ease of preparation - slice a few onions, mushrooms and beef strips and pretty much throw the lot together in the pan.

Though falling out of favour for a while due to increased health consciousness - it is a sour cream based dish - stroganoff has made something of a comeback, surviving tinkering and adaptions including that infamous Australian MasterChef makeover that included a liberal dose of paprika.

It can be thrown together in a jiffy, making it a friend to the time-poor and is a hardy dish that doesn't muck-up easily and partners just as easily with pasta, fettuccine is good, or the classic accompaniment of shoestring chips. The tenderness of eye fillet is ideal, but the slightly chewier rump steak make a good cheaper alternative.

Beef Stroganoff
(serves 6)

500g eye fillet or rump steak, trimmed of fat and cut into fine strips
20ml vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced
25g unsalted butter
250g sliced button mushrooms
1 heaped teaspoon plain flour
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
300ml sour cream
salt & fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

In a large frying pan, heat the oil until hot and fry the meat in batches until browned and remove. Melt the butter and gently sweat the onion until soft, then raise the heat, add the mushrooms and cook until just browned. Stir in the flour, cook a moment longer, then add the tomato paste, Dijon mustard and the sour cream. Bring to a simmer, return the meat to the pan and season with salt & fresh ground pepper. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.