Café Samovar is one of those restaurants many of us miss, a name you’ll hear when folks start waxing nostalgic about the good old places that have closed. It was on Union Avenue, near Front Street, for about 15 years before closing in 2006. A reader recently asked for the recipe for beef stroganoff from the restaurant and former chef Spencer McMillin came through.

Café Samovar Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients

½ cup canola oil (see note)

1 pound beef chuck, cut in 1-inch cubes

Salt and pepper, to taste

½ cup all-purpose flour

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup dry red wine

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced

2 quarts water (or enough to cover beef by about 1 inch, so the actual amount depends on the size of the pan)

3 bay leaves

¼ cup minced fresh dill

½ cup sour cream

1 tablespoon beef base (see note)

Directions

Heat oil over high heat in large pan. (Note: Use enough to coat the pan with ½ inch of oil.) Meanwhile, season beef with salt and pepper, dredge them in flour, shake off excess. When oil begins to smoke, add beef and brown, turning as needed.

Turn off heat, remove meat with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate. Pour off most of the oil, leaving a couple of tablespoons.

With heat still off, add garlic and stir in with back of spoon until fragrant and golden. Turn heat back on, immediately add the wine and reduce by half. Add tomato paste and thyme; brown for about a minute. Add water, bay leaves and reserved beef. Simmer for about 40 minutes, until beef is tender.

When tender, turn off heat and add dill, sour cream and beef base, stirring until combined. Remove bay leaves, taste and adjust seasoning with pepper and beef base. (Note: Beef base is a paste such as Better Than Bouillon. It’s salty, so start with a little and add sparingly.) Serve over noodles or with potatoes, however you desire. Serves 4.

Source: Spencer McMillin