Today’s breakfast comes from Hungary. Most people know of Hungarian goulash (which is not spelt “ghoulash”, as I just found out), and paprika, but did you know that Hungarian breakfast cuisine is a thing?
Follow me over the fold for a few recipes.
Palacsinta is a Hungarian variation on crepes. This particular recipe uses cottage cheese as the filling, but I imagine you could use something of similar texture (or perhaps berries if that’s your thing); according to this link, apricot jam, chocolate sauce (!!!) or poppy seeds are also common.
Crepes
- Combine and sift dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in eggs, milk, oil, lemon zest and vanilla until small bubbles start to form in batter and everything is mixed through.
- Heat a medium sized frying pan with a teaspoon of coconut oil to prevent sticking. Ladle in 3/4 cup of the batter and tilt the pan to spread in a thin even coating.
- You know your crepe is ready to flip when your batter turns matte and is covered in air holes. Both sides are done when they are golden brown in color.
Filling
- To make filling combine the cottage cheese with your desired amount of cinnamon and fruit.
Palacsinta (Hungarian breakfast crepes)
Next up is lángos, which is a street food specialty that is essentially deep fried flat bread (the word láng is Hungarian for “flame”). This particular recipe uses sour cream, garlic and grated cheese as toppings.
- In a mug, dissolve the salt in the water. In a bowl, combine the sifted flour with the yeast. Add the salty water to it and stir thoroughly (if it's very sticky, add a little bit more flour). Work the dough with a wooden spoon or with your hands until the dough is smooth and no longer sticks to the bowl. Leave the dough in the bowl, cover with a clean cloth and let it rise for 30-40 minutes or until it has doubled in size.
- Once it is rested, carefully tip out the dough onto a floured surface, stretch it out into a square and cut out about 10 cm (3,93 inch) round shapes with a big glass (a big cookie cutter also works). Stretch out each piece with your fingers into a round shape with the centre being thinner than the edges. Let the pieces rest for another 30 minutes on the floured surface.
- In a saucepan, heat sunflower oil. Place the lángos into the hot oil, fry it on one side until golden brown then turn. Repeat with the remaining lángos dough.
- Serve while it's hot. You can eat it simple or sprinkled with chopped garlic or doused with garlic water and topped with grated cheese and sour cream.
Lángos Recipe
Here’s an unusual dish, but one that sounds really appealing. We all know about eating breakfast for dinner, but what if you eat dessert for breakfast??! This Hungarian chilled cherry soup (meggyleves) is just the dish to satisfy your dessert cravings when the sun has just risen. Side benefit? It’s gluten free.
- Add cherries, with their juice, to a 4-quart saucepan. Add salt, cinnamon stick, and lemon. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until cherries are soft, about 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream and 1⁄4 cup of hot cheiquid from pan. Remove pan from heat; stir in sour cream mixture. Chill the soup.
Hungarian Chilled Cherry Soup
But maybe all of this is too fancy and exotic for you. Maybe you just want a dish with paprika.
- Wash and cut up the chicken.
- Cut the breasts in half.
- Cut the chicken legs in half.
- Chop off the bony end of the drumsticks and reserve for stock.
- Remove all the skin and fatty bits and discard.
- For lower the fat content remove the breast bones. Save the bones for stock.
- Peel and dice the onion.
- In a medium pot slowly sauté the onions in olive oil until translucent.
- Add the chicken pieces and slowly cook them for a couple minutes to seer in the juices.
- Stir in the paprika.
- Season the chicken with salt, pepper and caraway seeds. [No, you won’t even know they are in there]
- Add the tomatoes and stir in the peppers.
- Add the water and bring to boil.
- Reduce heat, cover with a lid and slowly simmer for a few minutes.
- Meanwhile turn the oven on at 350F.
- When oven is the right temperature remove the lid and place pot in the oven.
- Bake until meat is tender.
- Remove from the oven and serve with nokedli and sour cream.
Chicken Paprika (paprika csirke)
Perhaps a goulash recipe to go with your chicken paprika?
- Heat oil in a large pot or casserole over medium heat. Cook onions in oil until soft, stirring frequently. Remove onions and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine paprika, salt and pepper. Coat beef in spice mixture, and cook in onion pot until brown on all sides. Return the onions to the pot, and pour in tomato purée, water, garlic and the remaining salt. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until meat is tender.
And finally, here's a little music from Hungary to start your Sunday. Jó étvágyat!