Stroganoff is a delicious, creamy and decadent meal that has the distinction that it can be cooked in under 20 minutes and in just one pot.

Stroganoff is a Russian dish in origin and was developed in the 19th Century. The original dish used cubes of beef and was less rich and more tomato based than it has become. From Russia, the dish became popular in China, and after the Second World War it spread to America. The traditional accompaniment is matchstick potatoes – a Russian dish consisting of very thinly cut potatoes, deep fried (much like French Fries), but in Europe it is more often served with rice. The dish is named after the Stroganov family, who were important, especially in politics, in 19th century Russia.

A generous knob of butter

Oil for frying

2 onions, sliced as finely as possible (the thinner they are, the faster they cook)

250g mushrooms, sliced

500g steak, cut into thin strips

A good slug of brandy

1 lemon

2 small tubs of soured cream

2 tsb paprika

1. Heat the butter and a little oil in a pan. When the butter is foaming, add the onions and fry gently until they soften.

2. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook quickly until they are starting to brown. Tip the onions and mushrooms into a bowl.

3. Turn the heat right up, add some more oil, and quickly fry the meat until cooked.

4. Pour in the brandy and stir vigorously to deglaze the pan, combine and burn off the alcohol.

5. Return the onions and mushrooms to the pan, add all the remaining ingredients and heat, stirring, until the cream bubbles.

Then serve the stroganoff immediately. It goes great with rice or pasta, but if you only have one cooking ring the best choice is some fresh, crusty bread. Serve by putting the pan and the loaf in the middle of the table and letting everyone help themselves! For a vegetarian option, use 3 onions, 750g of mushrooms and no steak – it’s nice to use different varieties of mushroom if you’re doing it this way. To make the dish lighter you could use plain natural yoghurt instead of sour cream.

As always, cooking, especially in a caravan, brings dangers, and these should always be insured against with caravan insurance .