Rumbling Tummy (Week 19 - Hungary)

OUR EXPERIENCE

Oo we had all the jokes about Hungary, as you can imagine from a 7 year old. “Mum I have a joke, where do you go when you want something to eat”, I reply simply “The Kitchen”, “No” he says with glee “Hungary” pause then “Hungary, do you get it” Yes I think, I got it the last 6 times you said it!

My mums old recipe book had Paprika Chicken and I liked the way to thicken the sauce, but it was a little bland so I searched for another recipe and the one I did tasted a lot better, although I didn’t stick to it completely. I even made the dumpling things, which I left to cook while the phone rang and they doubled in size! I am so glad I left them, as I don’t think that would have happened had I been watching them. The stuffed peppers recipe, was really nice, and it did make a difference if you cooked the peppers for that short while before popping them in the oven. We enjoyed the stew, which I did with carrots and cabbage as they seemed appropriate for Hungary, even though the weather was good outside we all tucked into it. I was tempted by the cake, but previous countries cakes have not all been finished, no wonder we have about 4 different birds’ nests in our tiny estate garden! So, I will leave it for another day – plus the fact it is yeast based and I only ever have success with yeast recipes if it is sunny. I could have tried a Dobos Torta, but we are not really a family of chocolate cake lovers and I didn’t think the birds. On the whole we have liked what we have had, my son is quite willing to go to Hungary when he needs something to eat, rather than the kitchen. 

We are off over the Atlantic next week to Canada, a place both my husband and I would like to visit, My husband has more reason than I do as his mother was born there – interesting she and I share the same birthday.

 

Cooked with score (out of 100):

Stuffed pimentos…………………………………………………………66

Paprika Chicken with Spaetzle ……………………………………88

Marha-Porkolt-(Beef-Paprika-Stew)….…………………………88

Wanted to cook:

Monkey Bread 

 

Stuffed Pimentos

Mums Cook Book

Ingredients

6 fresh pimentos (peppers)

Stuffing

¾ lb chopped pork (or you could use tofu of substitute with sweat potato for a Veg option)

1 small chopped onion

2 tbsp cooked rice

Pepper, salt, Garlic

Lard for frying (veg friendly!)

1 egg

Sauce

1oz flour

1oz lard

1 dessertspoon sugar

1 ¼ pints water or stock

Salt and pepper

1 cup tomato puree

 

Method

1. Fry onion lightly in lard, add garlic and rice and mix well with meat, egg salt and pepper.
2. Open pimentos from the stalk side; remove the stalk and seeds and dip the pimentos in boiling water for 1 minute. When cold, stuff with the mixture.
3. For the sauce, heat lard; add flour and fry without browning; add water or stock and tomato puree.
4. Season with salt, pepper and sugar and mix, bring to the boil. Add the pimento, cooking for 30 mins.
    
    

Marha-Porkolt-(Beef-Paprika-Stew)

Source: http://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen

2 tbsp vegetable oil (I used olive)

1 large onion, minced

1 large garlic clove, minced

1/2 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1 lb. beef stew meat

2 tbsp sweet (mild) paprika - Hungarian paprika is best

1 tsp caraway seeds

1 large tomato, cored and chopped (I used a tin of chopped tomatoes)

Salt and black pepper to taste

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)


Total Time: 2 Hours 15 Minutes

Servings: 4

1. In a large sauté pan, heat canola oil over medium. Add minced onion and sauté for about 8 minutes till softened. Add the garlic and green bell pepper. Continue to sauté for another 5 minutes till garlic is fragrant and bell pepper is tender-crisp.
2. Add the beef to the pan and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook for 5-6 more minutes, stirring twice, till meat is browned.
3. Sprinkle paprika and caraway seeds evenly across the top of the meat. Add diced tomatoes to the pan. Pour 4-5 cups of hot water into the pan, till the meat is almost covered. Stir and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover to pan. Let the mixture simmer slowly for about 90-100 minutes, replenishing the water as needed to keep it from getting dry.
5. The stew is ready when the meat is fork tender and the sauce is thick. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste before serving, if desired. Serve over spaetzle, potatoes, rice or noodles.
    
    

Chicken Paprikash With Spaetzle

Source: Mark Kovach The dumplings are not called "spaetzle" it is a German term, but the method is Hungarian

Chicken

1 -3 lb chicken parts

1 medium onion, diced

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

2 tablespoons butter / margarine

1 tablespoon oil

4 -6 cups water

Chicken bouillon cube (not necessary with large amount of chicken) (optional)

1 (8 -16 ounce) container sour cream

Spaetzle

2 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1 cup (4oz) and 2 eggs, which was enough for 3 adults)

2 -6 eggs

salt and pepper

 

Directions.

1. Start by heating the oil in a large pot and browning your chicken parts. Remove the chicken and add the butter or margarine to the pot.Sauté the onion in the melted butter until transparent.
2. Add paprika, chicken, and water, bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for 45 minutes. Chicken should be very tender and about to fall off bones. Remove chicken to bowl.
3. Combine flour, salt, and pepper with eggs (the more eggs the richer the batter but two is OK) to form a thick batter.
4. (As I had used a very large pan I just put the spaetzle in with the chicken and cooked it altogether. I have added single cream, but in this occasion I just skipped to point 8 and thickened my sauce) The original recipe had these instructions:
5. Add enough fresh water to pot to bring back to original level. Check flavour of broth. If flavour is weak add enough bullion to produce a well flavoured broth. Bring broth to boil.
6. Now comes the tricky (and boring) part. Drop batter in boiling broth in 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon amounts until all batter is in pot and cooked. Spaetzle is cooked when it floats on surface.You may need to remove some to get it all in the pot.
7. With all spaetzle cooked and in pot you now add your sour cream to broth. The amount is individual according to how creamy you wish the sauce to become (and how much water you started with).
8. At this point I usually add about three tablespoons of flour mixed with one cup of water to thicken the broth.
    
   I have included my Mums cookbooks recipe for Paprika chicken too:
    

Paprika Chicken

Mums cook book

Ingredients

2 2lb chickens

20z lard

1 medium onion, chopped

Salt

¼ lb tomatoes

1 cup water

¼ pint milk, ¼ pint cream, 1 tbsp corn flour (mixed well together)

1 oz paprika

1 pimento (pepper)

 

Method

1. Remove legs from chicken, split breasts into two, removing all small bones. Fry the onion in the lard until it begins to brown, stir in the paprika; add water, salt and the chickens.
2. Bring to the boil and cook with lid on until tender (about 20-30 minutes). Add a little water if necessary.
3. Add the tomatoes and pimento during the last 5 minutes. When cooked, pour in the mixture of milk, cream and corn flour, stir while bringing to the boil and simmer for a few minutes.
4. Add salt, if required, and serve with rice, pasta or boiled potatoes.
    
    

Monkey Bread (Hungarian Coffee Cake)

Source: http://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen

Ingredients

1 package active dry yeast (¼-ounce/7 grams/2¼ teaspoons); or 1 cake fresh yeast (0.6-ounce/18 grams); or 2 teaspoons instant yeast

1/4 cup warm water (105 to 115°F for dry yeast; 80 to 85°F for fresh yeast)

3/4 cup warm milk or buttermilk, or 6 tablespoons milk and 6 tablespoons sour cream (5.125 ounces/180 grams)1

/3 cup granulated sugar (2.25 ounces/65 grams)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick/4 ounces/115 grams)

1 large egg (1.75 ounces/50 grams)

1 large egg yolk

1 tsp table salt

about 3 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour or bread flour (18.5 ounces/525 grams)

1 cup dried currants or raisins (optional) (5 ounces/145 grams)

Topping Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick/4 ounces/115 grams)

1 cup granulated sugar or packed light brown sugar (7 ounces/200 grams)

2 tsp ground cinnamon

½ to 1 cup finely chopped lightly toasted pecans or walnuts (optional)

Prep Time: 2 Hours 55 Minutes Cook Time: 40 MinutesTotal Time: 3 Hours 35 Minutes

Servings: 12 - 16 servings, one 10-inch tube or Bundt cake

1. To make the dough: In a small bowl or measuring cup, dissolve the yeast (except instant yeast) in ¼ cup water. Stir in 1 teaspoon sugar and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture, milk, the remaining sugar, butter, egg, egg yolk, and salt.
3. Blend in 1½ cups flour. If using instant yeast, do not dissolve, but add here. Gradually add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.
4. On a lightly floured surface or in a mixer with a dough hook, knead the dough until smooth and springy, about 5 minutes. If using, knead in the currants. Place in an oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a kitchen towel or loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours, or in the refrigerator overnight.
5. Grease a 10-inch (12-cup) tube or Bundt pan or two 9-inch ring molds. (If the pan has a removable bottom, line the outside with foil to prevent the butter from dripping.) In place of a tube pan, place a custard cup or foil lined 1½-inch tube in the center of a round, deep baking pan or casserole.
6. Punch down the dough, knead briefly, and shape into 1-inch balls. Combine the sugar, cinnamon, and, if using, nuts. Dip the balls into the melted butter, then roll in the sugar mixture to lightly coat.
7. Arrange the balls in the prepared pan no more than halfway full. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap spritzed with cooking spray and let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
    

Country

Hungary has no sea coast, yet it has one of the largest lakes of Europe, which with its sandy shoreline is a summer holiday magnet. The capital, Budapest is actually two cities which sit either side of the river Danube, Buda and Pest. A great plain that covers a third of the country and it is also home to the Europe’s largest land bird, the Great Bustard. It is also the first country to have an entire village placed on the UNESCO’s World Heritage list, Holloko. The Paloc people have lived here since the 13^th Century, when the castle was built. Yet, the village isn’t that old, because of the 58 properties under protection all have been rebuilt several times. The wooden and thatch construction is prone to devastation by fire and the village has been burnt down many times, the last one being in 1909 when it was almost completely rebuilt.

Hungary is the home of many a famous, and significant modern inventor from the co-inventor of BASIC computer language to Erno Rubik, the man who in 1977 gave us the Rubik cube. It was also the home of the inventor of holograms.

Cuisine

Hot summers and mild winter make Hungry very suitable for growing many crops. Almost half the world’s paprika is Hungarian; incidentally peppers are used to make paprika. Paprika is very typical of Hungarian cooking, and the countries two most famous dishes are Chicken Paprika and Goulash. Goulash is the national dish, with a festival held every September in its honour, and beef is the nation’s favourite meat. Sea food does not feature prominently, but fresh water fish does, including trout, carp, perch and eels. Paprika is synonymous with Hungarian cuisine as well as its cakes, such as Dobos Torta, fine slices of sponge layered with chocolate cream and topped with chocolate icing.