International Night – Hungary

After a couple of less than stellar results, we were back on track with our most recent international recipes. Still examining the cuisine of European countries, I decided to go with Hungary. The most obvious choice of a Hungarian dish was, of course, goulash or gulyas, as it is known in its native land.

Growing up, I recall goulash being a popular dish, though I don’t think my mother ever prepared it. The goulash I remember from the 70’s, however, was very different from the traditional Hungarian recipes I found online. I remember a dish with ground beef in a tomato sauce with macaroni noodles being passed off as goulash, but traditional goulash is more like a beef stew.

One of the things that makes gulyas unique is the fact that it is seasoned with Hungarian sweet paprika, which is apparently quite different than the paprika we find on our grocery store shelves. If I had planned my meal better, I would have had time to order some real Hungarian paprika, but I had to settle for the standard American version. The end result was still very good, though.

We also had another Hungarian staple, langos. Langos is a deep fried potato-based flat bread that is a popular street food in Hungary. Although sometimes it is topped with a variety of items like sour cream, cheese and onions, langos is most often simply rubbed with a garlic clove and salted. The langos was a big hit as well, and the garlic and salt gave it an awesome flavor.

Here are the recipes for Hungarian gulyas and langos:

Gulyas

1 lb. lean boneless stewing beef

2 T. olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

2 tsp.Hungarian sweet paprika

dash of cayenne pepper

3 c. beef stock or broth

2 c. water

1/2 teaspoon caraway seed

salt and pepper to taste

1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes

3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced

2 bell peppers, cut into chunks

2 T. flour

2 T. water

Cut beef into 1-inch cubes. Place oil in Dutch oven and add beef. Brown on all sides. Add onions and garlic to pan and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add paprika, cayenne, stock, the 2 cups water, caraway, salt and pepper. Stir well. Bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; cook, covered, 45 minutes.

Add tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, and peppers. Stir well; return to boil. Cover; cook 30 minutes or until vegetables are done.

Combine flour and the 2 tablespoons water; stir to form smooth paste. Add slowly to soup, stirring well. Cook over low heat, stirring until thickened.

Langos

1 pkg. dry yeast

1 1/2 c. lukewarm water

3 medium potatoes, peeled and boiled

1/2 tsp. salt

6 1/2 c. flour

kosher salt

2 to 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut in half

Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of the warm water. Mash the potatoes with a ricer or fork. Add the salt. Mix the potatoes with the flour, adding the yeast mixture and enough additional water to make the dough easy to knead. Knead on a floured surface until no longer sticky. Place dough in oiled bowl, turn over so that the oiled side is up, cover it and let it rise until doubled.

Punch down and divide the dough into 10 or 12 portions. Flatten each piece out with your hands or a rolling pin. Fry the dough, a few pieces at a time, until golden brown, turning as necessary. Remove from oil, sprinkle with kosher salt and rub with a cut clove of garlic.