Makes about 4 servings.
Meat - Preferably, use something gamey. Rabbit is one of my favorites. venison is also awesome but chicken will work just fine too.
Onion - One large onion or a couple of smaller ones.
Carrots - At least 4 or 5 medium sized carrots.
Cellery - About 2 large stalks or some cellery root.
Paprika - A good tablespoon worth.
Salt & pepper - This should be done to taste. I usually use around a tablespoon of salt and also add a few hot peppers on occassion for a nice bonus kick.
Bay leaves - At least 2 leaves.
Sour cream - At least 3 or 4 tablespoons.
Glass of red wine - This is optional, you can use water instead, but the wine tends to bring the flavors of everything together nicely. If using water, I recommend also adding a tablespoon or so of balsamic vinegar.
Clean and chop up all the vegetables.
Set a pressure cooker on a low to medium heat and add some olive oil (you can use a regular pot too but cooking will take a lot longer). Add the chopped onion and saute until glassy. Add the paprika and saute lightly (don't burn it!). Add the chopped carrots & cellery, bay leaves, and then season to taste with the salt & pepper (if you want to add hot peppers, this is the time to do it).
Saute the veggies a bit and then add the meat. You'll want to sear the meat on all sides to seal in the juices. Add a glass of wine (or water) and seal up the pressure cooker. If you are using a regular pot, you'll need to add a bit more water and then put the lid on.
Cook until the meat is very tender. With the pressure cooker, this usually means about 12 to 15 minutes of cooking (after the pressure has come up to the full level and the cooker is "whistling"). The time will vary depending on the amount of meat used. With a regular pot, you'll probably need at least a half hour of cooking. With either method, I recommend medium heat the whole way - don't try to rush it and end up burning the dish! The best things in life are always worth waiting for :-)
Once the meat is done, let the pressure drop and then open the pressure cooker. Never try to open a cooker that is still under pressure, you can get severely burned! Again using medium heat, I bring the cooker back to a boil so that I can thicken up the sauce a bit. Use medium heat and leave the top off so the water will evaporate. When the sauce has reduced enough, simply add the sour cream and keep heating until the sauce is once again bubbling. The dish is done and ready to be served.
This dish is typically served with pasta. Mashed potato's will work fine too or even simply a nice hearty bread. To drink, I would recommend a nice red wine.
© Pal Pocsi 2004