Beef Stroganoff - cooking recipe

Ingredients

800 g eye fillet beef (or other tender beef cut)
50 g butter
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons ground paprika (use a combo of hot and sweet)
350 g button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (rounded tsp)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
300 ml light sour cream
1/2 lemon, juiced
vodka (or cognac) (optional)
fresh parsley, chopped
salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste (optional)

Preparation

Slice beef into strips 1 cm wide.
Melt the butter in a deep, heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft.
Add combined paprika powder and cook, stirring, a couple of minutes, being careful not to let the onion brown.
Add mushrooms and nutmeg and cook a further 3 to 5 minutes. Remove contents from pan and set aside. Add a splash of water, stock, vodka or cognac to deglaze pan, and pour liquid over mushrooms.
Return pan to heat and add half the olive oil. Cook beef in batches over high heat, adding more oil as necessary - seal and caramelise the beef rather than stewing it. Remove beef and set aside.
Return mushrooms and liquid, and onion mixture to pan, pour in sour cream and simmer for a minute until it is hot and starts to reduce.
Return beef to pan with lemon juice and some parsley.
Season with salt, pepper and a dash more nutmeg, to taste (and as desired).
Serve immediately with noodles or rice.