Discovering Hungary through its cuisine – lockdown edition – RECIPE
Travelling abroad is the best way to get to know a foreign country, its people, its culture, or its cuisine. But when a global pandemic paralyses almost the whole world, crossing borders is not an option. What can be done then?
One of the best ways to discover another culture and at the same time bond with its people and hopefully find new friends is through food. It is especially the case in Hungary, where the saying “the way to a man’s heart is through food” might be a bit more true than in other countries. Although we have no control over the opening of borders and countries, we can try our best to present you with the delicious side of Hungary and provide some help to travel to a Hungarian restaurant until you get to do so in person.
When the lockdown started, my flatmate and I decided to organise thematic dinners at the weekend to try to have a good time, apart from simply coping with the situation. I have the same proposition for you: Let’s take your kitchen to Hungary, or the opposite, let’s sneak some Hungary into your kitchen, wherever you might be in the world.
Today, we start with a very simple recipe that includes few ingredients and less than 45 minutes to prepare, together with preparation and cooking. The name “poor man’s stew” or potato paprikash already suggests a simple meal. It consists of two main ingredients, potato and sausage; however, do not judge simply by the name, its flavours are more intense and more complex than the name suggests. Here is what you need to prepare a quick but delicious meal for 4 people:
- 1 kg potato
- 150 g sausages – preferably a dry type made of pork (quite a lot of people nowadays prepare it with hot dogs, which is a fine choice, but please make sure to use a quality type as it adds a lot to the flavour)
- 1 medium onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp paprika (preferably Hungarian paprika; however, the recipe has been tested with a sweeter, ground red paprika)
- Salt and pepper to taste
The first step is to peel the potatoes, the garlic, and the onion. Cut the potatoes into medium-sized cubes, dice the onion, and mince the garlic cloves.
Heat the oil and simmer the onion until it becomes completely transparent. Then remove the pot from the stove before adding the paprika so that it does not burn.
Mix it together, add the garlic and the potatoes, put it back on the stove, and add some water, but without completely covering the potatoes.
Then season it with salt and pepper and cover the pot to cook the potatoes until half-done, for about 15 minutes. To finish, add the sausages to the pot and cook it for another 15 minutes.
The final consistency can vary a bit by regions; some people prefer to cook the potatoes completely but leave some water on them, while others overcook it a bit so that some cubes become a bit smashed and more water evaporates.
I told you it would be easy and quick but delicious.
If you decide to give it a go and cook some “paprikás krumpli” and you think it turned out especially good and looks beautiful on your plate, feel free to send us a picture.
Jó étvágyat!
Source: Daily News Hungary