14/09/2026
🤩Recipe of the Week 🤩
Slow-cooker beef and paprika stew with potato pancakes
This traditional Polish dish is hearty, comforting and bound to bring the whole family together
🤩Ingredients 🤩
⭐️1 cal cooking spray*
⭐️1kg lean stewing steak, visible fat removed, cut into 3cm chunks
⭐️500ml hot beef stock
⭐️2 large onions, sliced
⭐️2 carrots, halved lengthways and sliced
⭐️3 garlic cloves, crushed
⭐️2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
⭐️1 jar of roasted red peppers in brine, peppers drained and sliced
⭐️1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
⭐️400g can chopped tomatoes
⭐️600g green beans, trimmed
⭐️Fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped
For the potato pancakes (makes 12):
⭐️500g floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper or King Edward, peeled and finely grated
⭐️1 medium egg, beaten
⭐️1 cal cooking spray*
🤩Method 🤩
⭐️Spray a large non-stick frying pan with 1 cal cooking spray and put it over a medium-high heat. Cook the stewing steak for 5-7 minutes in batches (it’s best not to overfill the pan) until browned, then add to your slow cooker.
⭐️Swirl the empty frying pan with a splash of the stock, then add to the slow cooker. Wipe out the pan, spray again with 1 cal cooking spray and put it over a medium heat. Fry the onions and carrots for 4-5 minutes until lightly golden. Add the garlic and paprika, fry for 2 minutes, then tip into the slow cooker.
⭐️Add the peppers, bay leaf, tomatoes and the rest of the stock to the slow cooker, and cook on high for 4 hours, or until the beef is tender. After 2 hours, give the stew a stir and add a splash of water if it’s looking a bit too thick.
⭐️Meanwhile, make the potato pancakes. A few handfuls at a time, wrap the potato in a clean tea towel and squeeze out as much moisture as you can. Tip into a bowl, then mix with the egg and lightly season. Spray a large, non-stick frying pan with cooking spray and put it over a medium heat. Add 2-3tbsp of the mixture per pancake and flatten down each one to about 8-10cm wide. Working in batches, fry for 4-5 minutes on each side until crisp and golden and move the cooked pancakes to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
⭐️When the stew is almost ready, boil the beans in a saucepan for 3-4 minutes, then drain.
⭐️Season the stew to taste, then divide between 4 plates, discarding the bay leaf. Scatter with the parsley, then serve with the beans and potato pancakes.
