A nice lunch dish made with freshly picked yellow waxed beans, fresh dill and a good portion of sour cream. Served with a bit of meat stew like pörkölt or as on the picture (thanks mum!), paprika chicken. Good to try with green beans and…
These days I make this dish with lean ground turkey but the traditional is made with pork. For a most authentic taste use Hungarian wax peppers (image below), if it’s not available any other sweet pepper will give you a lovely tasty meal. Good choice…
Who doesn’t like pancakes? Hungarian pancakes are one of a kind, more like crepes. I find them quite distinctive from other types of just as lovely pancakes I tasted elsewhere. They are thin and delicate, made with part milk and part sparkling water, giving it…
Tarhonya is best described as a pellet like pasta, similar to giant couscous though it is cooked somewhat differently. Interestingly the word “tarhonya” /ˈtɒrhoɲɒ/ itself is likely to come from the Ottoman Turkish influence in Hungary, the modern Turkish spelling is the undoubtably similar “tarhana”.
Sauerkraut is naturally fermented cabbage that taste refreshingly sour and bears many health benefits especially for the digestive system. A popular dish in Hungary during the overindulging Christmas festivites and also affectionatley known as the hangover soup. Ingredients 300 g sauerkraut (shredded fermented cabbage) 2…
A light vegetable soup often served in the summer as a starter, spiced with paprika and fresh parsley. 400 g peas (fresh or frozen) small onion finely chopped 2 medium carrots diced 1/2 kohlraby diced (optional) large bunch of parsley finely chopped 100 ml of…
A popular snack sold freshly made which can’t go amiss especially when holidaying by lake Balaton in Hungary. Here is a home-made version with added mashed potatoes that make the dough extra soft. Langos: 500 g white flower 250 g potato peeled, cooked and finely…
Lamb is one of the well known Christian symbols of Easter to represent the sacrifice made by Jesus. Spring flowers, chicks, rabbits and baby lambs and of course eggs are also a symbol of the rebirth of nature after the winter months. One delicious Easter…
A hearty creamy soup of yellow split peas, which are cooked till falling apart. It is a somewhat modernised version of the Hungarian “Sárgaborsó Főzelék” where instead of using flour to thicken the dish I pureed it in a food processor which I found makes…
This lovely Hungarian dessert is made of the crescent shaped Hungarian bread-roll “kifli”, but can be substituted with plain bread rolls, brioche buns or sliced milk loaf. It is a favoured pudding at the Christmas festivities as the plentiful poppy seeds traditionally were believed to…
These scones are fluffy and light and make a pretty good party snack or weekend treat. The recipe could be extended or changed easily, could use extra sliced olives, chopped herbs, maybe finely chopped sun dried tomatoes for a Mediterranean feel. Ingredients (makes about 40…
This heavenly family dessert is living a bit of a renaissance these days in Hungary even appearing on the dessert list of some posh restaurants. Made with milk eggs sugar and vanilla, it is a chilled crème anglaise with a fluffy meringue top. Similar dishes…
Have to warn in advance that this is a somewhat challenging dish. Not because difficult to make, but more so for the array of pots and pans that are used and have to be washed up afterwards. :-) It’s all worthwhile at the end. There…
The sour cream and dill are the perfect compliment to the tasty green beans in this summery creamy soup. Serve with a nice slice of fresh crusty bread for a wholesome lunch. I left the beans in whole in the spur of the moment, usually…
Another sour cherry summer recipe following my earlier post on the chilled sour cherry soup. 800 gram (~1.8lb) sour cherries 200 gram (7 oz) pastry/plain flour 200 gram (1.7 stick) butter at room temperature 2 medium eggs 250 gram caster sugar (8.8 oz) (150g for the dough,…
One of the nicest things to offer on hot summer days. This light sour-sweet soup is served very cold as a starter. Made with sour cherries not the sweet cherry variety and is incredibly refreshing in the heat. When I visited my family in the summer,…
Rizi bizi is made with rice and peas and usually served as a side dish with meat such as roast chicken, breaded veal or various stews. It is much loved in Hungary but originates from Venice. The Italian call it “Risi e Bisi” which is…
Ingredients (4 people) 450 gram beef, braising steak, diced to 1 inch (2 cm) cubes 2 medium onions finely chopped 1 medium carrot, cut into disks 1 medium parsnip, cut into disks 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil 2-3 medium potato (500gram) diced 1 clove of…
A flavoursome rustic side dish, try it with harty roasts and steaks. Ingredients: 50g goose fat (can substitute with butter or oil if prefer) 600-800g potatoes, peeled and diced to medium chunks 1 large onion or 2 medium one. 1 teaspoon of sugar (I used…
