Hungarian Peasant Foods

Hungarian Garlic Bread
Sargaborsoleves
Gulyás Leves  (Goulash soup)
Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage
Hungarian Dumplings
Beef Pörkölt (Goulash)
Hungarian Goulash


Hungarian Garlic Bread

Piece of rye bread, pan-fry in hot oil until crisp/brown.
Take a whole garlic clove, rub vigorously on the bread. Due to the bread texture, it's almost like a fine grater.
Sprinkle liberally with salt.

Sargaborsoleves Serves 4  130mins

11 oz Yellow Split Peas, washed
1 small Ham Shank 
1 large Onion, chopped
3 Carrots, thickly sliced
2 Sticks Celery, cut into chunks

1 small Parsnip, diced
1 tbsp freshly chopped Flat Leaf Parsley or

2 teasp Dried Parsley
1 Bay Leaf
2 whole Cloves
6 whole Peppercorns
Approx. 60fl.oz. Water

1. Place all the ingredients (including the contents of the Cuisine Select pack if using) in a large saucepan, bring to the boil then reduce the heat, partially cover and cook  gently for at least 2 hours, stirring from time to time or until the meat is very tender and falling off the bone.

Check the seasoning and add a little salt and extra water if necessary. Serve hot.

Gulyás Leves  (Goulash soup) Serves 4   105mins

1 large Onion, chopped
2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

1 teasp Paprika
Salt and Pepper
14 oz Stewing Beef, cut into cubes
1 Green Capsicum (sweet pepper), chopped

4 oz Carrot, sliced

4 oz Parsley Root or Parsnips, sliced
11 oz Potatoes, cut into chunks
1 Tomato, chopped
1 teasp Caraway seed

50 fl.oz. Water

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and sauté until softened. 

2. Sprinkle the paprika over the onions then add the beef, salt, pepper, green pepper and tomato. Mix well, reduce the heat to very low, cover and cook very gently for 45 minutes, stirring from time to time. 

3. Add the remaining ingredients, mix well then cover and continue to cook for a further 45 minutes. Serve hot.

Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage Serves 4   165 min

1 Large Cabbage
28 oz tin Sauerkraut
1/2 lb Minced Beef
1/2 lb Minced Pork
4 oz Cooked Long Grain Rice
Salt and Black Pepper
1 Egg
4 oz Bacon, chopped
+5 oz Onion, chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
1 tbsp Paprika
14 oz tin Chopped Tomatoes
1 tbsp Caraway Seeds
16 fl. oz. Water

2 tbsp Plain Flour
8 fl. oz. Sour Cream

1. Preheat the oven to 170C, 325F, Gas Mark 3. Remove core from the cabbage, place in a large saucepan, cover with water then bring to the boil and cook until the outer leaves begin to loosen. 

2. Lift out the cabbage, remove the softened leaves and return the head of cabbage to the pan of boiling water to soften more leaves. Repeat until all leaves are removed. 

3. Once all the leaves have been softened, remove the centre stalks from each leaf and set aside.

4. Meanwhile, place the beef, pork, rice, salt, pepper and egg in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Set aside.

5. Place the bacon, onion and garlic in a saucepan and sauté until the onion is soft.

6. Add half of the onion mixture to meat mixture and mix well. 

 7. Spoon half the sauerkraut into the bottom of a deep casserole and set aside. Using the 12 largest cabbage leaves, place about 3 tablespoons of the meat mixture on a each cabbage leaf and roll up, tucking in sides. Place rolls, seam side down, on top of the sauerkraut in the casserole dish. 

8. Coarsely chop any remaining cabbage leaves and place over rolls
9.  Add the paprika, cayenne pepper, tomatoes, caraway seeds, water and remaining sauerkraut to the remaining onion mixture, place in a saucepan and cook until heated through. 

10. Pour the hot mixture over stuffed cabbage rolls, cover and bake for 1 hour 45 minutes. 

11. At the end of the cooking time,  mix together the flour and sour cream in a small bowl. Add in 2 tablespoons of the hot cooking liquid from the casserole, mix well then spoon over cabbage rolls. Continue to bake, uncovered for a further 15-20 minutes. Serve hot.

Hungarian Dumplings Serves 6  15 mins

8 oz Plain Flour

1 teasp Salt

1 Egg

3-4 tbsp Water

1. Place the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. 

2. Break the egg into the well and gradually mix into the flour, adding the water a little at a time to make a stiff dough. 

3. Tear off small pieces of the dough and drop into soups or stews. Cook for 4-5 minutes.

There has been much confusion and disinformation  about Hungarian Goulash outside of Hungary; from the misspelling of the name to the misinterpretation of the dish.  Firstly,  Goulash is the English word for Gulyas,  whereas Pörkölt is the Hungarian name for the dish most of us call Goulash.  It is not to be confused with gulyas leves which is actually a hearty soup that contains large pieces of meat and vegetables.  The name gulyas is a shortened form of gulyashus,  which means "herdsman's meat" in Hungarian. Traditionally Pörkölt was (and often still is) cooked in a large cauldron called a bográc,  on the top of the heat source. A version of it was cooked as early as 800A.D. by  the Magyars who used bogrács to cook it over open fires. The Magyars traditionally cooked cubes of with onions, then dried them and took it with them when they went on their wanderings. They would then cook them in water until reconstituted. 

Over the years, various other ingredients were added including Paprika (c18th century), sour cream and potatoes and nowadays it is made from using different meats and often served with noodles.

Beef Pörkölt (Goulash)  Serves 4   135 mins

1 oz Lard or 2 tbsp Olive Oil and 2 tbsp Butter

3 Onions, chopped

1-1/2 lb Stewing Beef, cubed

4 Potatoes, thickly sliced

8 fl. oz. Fresh Beef Stock

8 fl. oz. Sour Cream

2 tbsp Tomato Paste

Salt

Ground Black Pepper

3 Tbsp Paprika

2 Bay Leaves

1. Heat the lard (or oil and butter) in a large saucepan, add the onions and meat and fry until the beef is browned on all sides and the onion is softened.

2. Add the remaining ingredients, mix well and bring to the boil then reduce the heat to very low, cover and simmer for at least 1-1/2 to 2 hours, stirring from time to time. Serve hot.

Hungarian Goulash Serves 4    120 mins

2 lb boned Shoulder of Veal

2 Onions, chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped

2 oz Butter

1/4 teasp Caraway Seeds

3 tbsp Paprika

1 Bay Leaf

1/4 teasp dried Marjoram

1/4 teasp dried Thyme

Salt and Black pepper

8 oz Button Mushrooms, sliced

2 Red Capsicums, (sweet peppers) seeded and diced

2 Green Capsicums, seeded and diced

14 oz tin Tomatoes

10 fl. oz. Soured Cream

1. Heat the oven to 150C, 300F, Gas mark 2.  Fry the finely chopped onions and garlic in 25g/1 oz of the butter in a large flameproof casserole until transparent. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon.
2. Cut the veal into 2 inch cubes. Add to the casserole and fry, adding more butter  if necessary, until golden on all sides. Return the onion and garlic to the casserole and sprinkle with the caraway seeds and paprika to taste. Add the bay leaf, dried marjoram and thyme and cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Top with the sliced mushrooms, diced peppers and peeled tomatoes.
4. Cover the casserole and bring gently to boil then transfer to the oven and cook gently for about 1 hour, or until tender. Serve with soured cream.