Hungarian Cooking

Hungarian Cooking Lesson

Today is a lesson that I’ve been cooking up for a while now. My mother is Hungarian, so I decided to give everyone some lessons in Hungarian food. If it isn’t red, it isn’t Hungarian food. That’s a slight exaggeration, but it’s mostly due to the Hungarian Paprika we use. Note: Hungarian Paprika isn’t the same as regular paprika. Hungarian paprika has a slightly sweet and spicy flavor where as regular paprika is basically food coloring.

When cooking these dishes please remember to taste them and adjust the spices as you see fit. These recipes aren’t set in stone, but a creative process. I will add pictures as I cook these recipes again.

Chicken Paprikash

1 Can Small Chopped Tomatoes
½ Can Tomato Paste
1 cup sour cream
4 Pieces Chicken Breast
1 Green Pepper
1 Large Onion
1 Can Chicken Stock
3 Tablespoons Hungarian Paprika
3 Garlic Cloves Minced
1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 cup Dry White Wine

• On medium heat, pan fry chicken in chicken stock and a little white wine and garlic, until mostly cooked. Add Cayenne pepper and paprika.
• Add drained can of tomatoes, onions and garlic and sauté until onions are translucent and tomatoes begin to break down.
• Add green pepper and lightly cook.
• Continue to add Chicken stock and wine.
• Add in ½ can tomato paste and mix well with juices.
• Lower heat and add one cup of sour cream.
• Sprinkle with paprika to serve.

Dill Pickle Soup

2 Cups Dill Pickle Juice
¼ Cup Finely Sliced Pickles
½ cup Flour
3½ cup Water
1 Large Potato Eyes Removed
4 Cups Chicken Broth
1 cup Skim Milk
3 Cloves of Garlic Minced
2 Tbs Dried Dill
1 Large Onion Finely Chopped
1 Cup White Wine
3 Tbs Olive Oil
3 Tbs Dried Dill Weed

• Sautee Onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent.
• Add White Wine and Simmer for 5 minutes
• Mix ½ Cup of Water and Flour in a bowl and then add mixture to the Onions
• Add the rest of the water and the pickle juice
• Wisk if needed
• Stir in Milk
• Add shredded pickles and a little more wine
• Season to Taste

Hungarian Goulash

2 lbs of Beef Stew Meat

1 Sliced Green Pepper
1 Medium Sliced Onion
1 Can Small Diced Tomatoes
½ Can Tomato Paste
1 cup Red Wine
2 Cups Beef Stock
3 Cloves Garlic Minced
Olive oil
Paprika
Cayenne Pepper (optional)

• In a medium pan warm a little olive oil, red wine and add the stew meat. Cook until brown on the outside.
• Add Garlic and cook for a few minutes
• Add chopped veggies, beef stock, tomatoes with juice, and more wine.
• Bring to a boil and then reduce heat simmering for 30 minutes.
• Mix in tomato paste into liquid.
• Simmer for 20 minutes.

Golabki/Stuffed Cabbage

1 lb Ground Beef or Turkey
2 Cups Cooked Rice
1 Can Tomato Paste
2 Cups Chicken Stock
3 Cups Water
2 Tbs Garlic
2 Tbs Paprika
2 Onions Chopped
1 Head of Cabbage with Large Leafs
2 Tbs Salt

• Cooked ground meat and onions, add garlic.
• Boil some water add 2 Tbs of Salt, rip off the cabbage leafs individually and cook them in the boiling water.
• Stuff each cabbage leaf with the meat/rice mixture. (You may need to tie string around them or hold them together with toothpicks.)
• Heat the stock, a few cups of water, paprika, garlic and the tomato paste.
• Gently place the cabbage packets in the soup.
• Simmer for at least 30 minutes.
• Serve with tomato soup sauce over them.