Celebrating the last of the season’s capsicums

Recently I received an email from one of our blog readers, Elena, sharing a recipe she has been cooking a bit lately with the last of the season’s capsicums. I was so pleased to get this contribution and to be able to pass it on to you. Next week the blog will be about the most unusual fruits and vegies you have growing in your garden, or what do you wish you could grow. Please drop us a line, either via a comment on the blog or via email.

This is from the Monday Morning Cook Book via a group, the Monday Morning Cooking Club, dedicated to collecting recipes from the best home cooks in Sydney’s Jewish community. The mum in this recipe is Yolanda, a survivor of Auschwitz.

Mum’s Rice Paprikash

Makes about 6 servings

80 ml (1/3 cup) olive oil
1 kg veal shin (off the bone), cut into large dice (Elena uses beef rather than veal)
3 large onions (500 g), very finely chopped
60 ml (1/4 cup) white wine
500 ml (2 cups) boiling water
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 red capsicum, sliced
1 heaped tablespoon mild paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
220 g (1 cup) long-grain rice
2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 small tomato, chopped

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan on a medium-high heat and fry the veal until very brown. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the onions to the pan and fry until very brown, adding more oil if necessary.

Return the veal to the pan and add the wine and boiling water. Add the garlic, capsicum, paprika and cayenne pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the rice, carrots and tomato, stir to combine, then continue to simmer for a further 30 minutes, or until the veal is tender and the rice is cooked. Stir regularly and add more boiling water as required. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Thanks to Gil Freeman for the image and Elena for the recipe suggestion.