Beef Stroganoff

Beef stroganoff is a quick, elegant Russian beef ragout: thin strips of tenderloin in a sour-cream and mushroom sauce. The key is to just sear the meat, so it stays tender. Serve it with rice or pasta.

1. Cut the 600 g beef tenderloin into thin strips and sear them quickly over a high heat in the 2 tablespoons hot oil, then take them out.

2. In the same pan sweat the 2 sliced onions and the 250 g sliced mushrooms.

3. Sprinkle over the 1 tablespoon wheat flour, stir it in, then pour in the 200 ml meat stock.

4. Add the 200 ml sour cream and the 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard and simmer together carefully.

5. Return the meat strips, season with salt and pepper, and just heat through together. Serve with rice or boiled pasta.

Tip: Do not cook the meat long in the sauce – if you re-boil it, it toughens; a few minutes to heat through is enough.