https://vo.rs/tags/russian/Russian - Tag - vo.rsHugo -- gohugo.ioenThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.Sun, 25 Jan 2026 09:00:00 +0000https://vo.rs/story/beef-stroganoff/<p>Stroganoff can taste rather one-note, all cream and beef, so this version sharpens it. Smoked paprika lends a warm, gently smoky backbone, while a handful of finely chopped cornichons stirred in at the end brings a clean, briny snap that cuts straight through the soured cream. It is still quick, still silky, but brighter and more interesting, ready in under half an hour.</p> <h2 id="ingredients" class="headerLink"> <a href="#ingredients" class="header-mark"></a>1 Ingredients</h2><p>Serves 4.</p> <ul> <li>600g beef fillet or sirloin, cut into thin strips</li> <li>2 tbsp plain flour</li> <li>1 tsp smoked paprika, plus extra to finish</li> <li>3 tbsp butter</li> <li>1 tbsp olive oil</li> <li>1 onion, finely sliced</li> <li>300g chestnut mushrooms, sliced</li> <li>2 garlic cloves, crushed</li> <li>1 tbsp Dijon mustard</li> <li>250ml beef stock</li> <li>150ml soured cream</li> <li>4 cornichons, finely chopped</li> <li>Small handful of parsley, chopped</li> <li>Salt and black pepper, to taste</li> </ul> <h2 id="method" class="headerLink"> <a href="#method" class="header-mark"></a>2 Method</h2><ol> <li>Toss the beef strips with the flour, smoked paprika and a good pinch of salt and pepper.</li> <li>Heat 1 tbsp butter and the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat and sear the beef in batches for about 1 minute until browned. Set aside.</li> <li>Lower the heat, add another knob of butter and cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft.</li> <li>Add the remaining butter and the mushrooms, and fry for 6-7 minutes until golden. Stir in the garlic for 1 minute.</li> <li>Stir in the Dijon mustard, then pour in the stock and let it bubble and reduce for 3 minutes.</li> <li>Lower the heat and stir in the soured cream until smooth. Do not let it boil hard.</li> <li>Return the beef and any resting juices to the pan and warm through for 1-2 minutes.</li> <li>Stir in the chopped cornichons, then taste and season.</li> <li>Scatter with parsley and a dusting of smoked paprika, and serve with rice or buttered noodles.</li> </ol> <h2 id="the-story" class="headerLink"> <a href="#the-story" class="header-mark"></a>3 The Story</h2><p>Beef stroganoff is one of those dishes that has travelled so far from home it is almost unrecognisable from its origins. It emerged in nineteenth-century Russia and takes its name from the Stroganov family, an immensely wealthy dynasty of merchants and statesmen. The earliest printed recipes appear in Russian cookery books of that era, describing lightly floured cubes of beef in a mustard and soured-cream sauce. It was refined, restaurant cooking, a world away from peasant fare.</p>Sun, 25 Jan 2026 09:00:00 +0000