Hungarian Paprika Beef Stew with Egg Dumplings

Season the beef. Sprinkle the beef cubes with the stew salt and set them aside while you cook the onions. Salting ahead gives it time to start seasoning the meat.

Soften the onions. Put the oil and onions in the casserole, cover and cook over medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring now and then, until very soft and golden but not browned. Add the garlic for 1 minute. These melted onions form the body of the sauce, thickening it without any flour.

Add the paprika off the heat. Take the pot off the heat and stir in both paprikas, the tomato purée and the caraway, then return it to low heat for 1 minute. Paprika burns and turns bitter in seconds over direct heat, so mixing it into the hot onions off the flame protects its sweet flavour and bright colour.

Braise low and slow. Add the beef, sliced pepper and tomato and stir to coat. Cover tightly and cook over low heat for 2 h-2 h 30 min, stirring every 20 minutes. The meat releases its own juices, so add water 50 ml at a time only if the pan looks dry; this keeps the sauce thick and concentrated rather than soupy.

Check and finish. The stew is ready when the beef is tender enough to cut with a spoon, as its tough connective tissue has melted into gelatine. Stir in the vinegar to lift the rich sauce.

Mix the dumpling batter. About 20 minutes before the stew is ready, bring the large saucepan of water to the boil. Beat the flour, eggs, cold water and dumpling salt into a thick, sticky batter that drops slowly from a spoon, then rest it for 10 minutes so the flour hydrates and the dumplings hold together.

Cook the dumplings. Press the batter through the spaetzle maker or colander into the simmering water in 2 batches. Cook for 2-3 minutes until they float, then lift them out with the slotted spoon and toss with the butter to stop them sticking.

Serve. Spoon the stew onto plates with the dumplings and scatter over the green pepper rings for a fresh, crunchy contrast.