Feel free to add different vegetables that you have at home. Photo/Thinkstock
The soup/stew known as goulash, or gulyas, is a pillar of Hungarian cooking. A bowlful of my grandmother's recipe of simple goodness ignited a passion for spice that has never waned.
She peppered chicken or beef with the freshest Hungarian paprika possible. The rusty red powder smelled sweet and tasted
lush, nearly intense.
My grandparents favoured intensely red, sweet paprika imported from Hungary and sold in bulk at their local meat markets. Fresh paprika has a full, rich, red pepper flavour with almost no heat.
They'd occasionally use Hungarian half-sharp paprika, which is spicier than the sweet version and adds a nice kick to the pot.
Some recipes call for wine or beer, but you can also use water or a light home-made chicken stock - made from simmering the neck, giblets and wing tips in water - to add a little more body and flavour.
