Paprika is far more than a dusting of colour on top of potato salads and devilled eggs. The depth of flavour and aromas of this Spanish style paprika beef will transport you to the heart of the Mediterranean.

ALL the ingredients for this recipe are now available at your local Ritchies supermarket. Find your local VIC, NSW or QLD store.

Did you know Paprika is a spice made from air-dried fruits of the chili pepper family of the species Capsicum annuum. Paprika can range from mild to hot, and flavors also vary from country to country, but almost all the plants grown produce the sweet variety. The sweet paprika is mostly pericarp, with more than half of the seeds removed, whereas hot paprika contains some seeds, placentas, calyces, and stalks.

Spanish style paprika beef

• 2 kg gravy beef, cut in large rustic pieces
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 large red capsicum, deseeded and roughly chopped
• 2 large onions, chopped roughly
• 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 400g can crushed tomatoes or 5 large ripe tomatoes peeled and chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried thyme.
• 3 tablespoons of sweet paprika (Spanish if you can get it)
• 2 cups of dry white wine
• 3 cups low salt beef stock
• ½ cup green pepper stuffed olives
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 to serve

• 2 tablespoons of flat leafed parsley, roughly chopped for garnish

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Using a heavy bottomed deep sauté pan or casserole, add half the olive oil and brown the beef all over then remove from the pan. Pour the white wine into the sauté pan and stir it to deglaze all the delicious browned beef flavour from the pan, then reserve. Dry the pan with kitchen roll. Pour the remaining olive oil to the pan. Add the onion and cook gently until softened and lightly browned, add the garlic and stir until it starts to smell fragrant, add tomatoes, capsicum, carrots, herbs, paprika, stock and return the meat and wine to the casserole, season to taste. Increase the heat to high and cook for about 20 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken slightly. Then transfer to bake in the oven (about 2 hours) until the meat is tender and the sauce is reduced. Add the olives in the last 10 minutes of cooking. Sprinkle with parsley and serve piping hot straight from the oven with steamed rice and vegetables.

Note: This dish is wonderful cooked the day before, kept in the fridge overnight and reheated for easy entertaining and it is a perfect slow cooker recipe. Serves 6.