Goulash

The new Cook’s has an article about goulash, which (in its original form) has meat, onions, shocking amounts of paprika, and not much else. I wanted to try it, but what the market suggested were Icelandic lamb shanks. So, lamb goulash.

• Asian pear, St. Augur blue cheese, artisanal salami, vinaigrette
• Lamb shank goulash, mushrooms, couscous
• Apple crumble

Not half bad; the goulash consumes $4.50 of paprika, which is blended with a roasted red pepper and a splash of vinegar to make a pepper paste that does eliminate the grittiness you'd expect from so much dried spice.

Yesterday's dinner was interesting, too: pork belly braised with ginger, honey and soy turned out really well. The braising liquid is specified as 50% honey and 50% soy; I reduced both and added some white wine to make up the volume. Still too salty, and the honey notes were far from prominent. But it’s a sauce that you first say “delicious” and then add “though perhaps a bit too much salt”, which is very different from the other way round. We polished off a nice Chilean cabernet with it, and slept shockingly late.