Lecsó

Before I write down this week’s recipe, I would like to thank you for all the positive comments that I have received in the past week. You are the best audience ever!

And now I would like to share the easiest recipe in the world with you, called Lecsó. Those who don’t have the bravery to cook out last week’s dish, stuffed cabbage, this recipe will beg you to try it out. I chose this dish: 1. because it’s really simple to prepare 2. I know that some of my readers are vegetarian. This recipe will be appealing for them, too.

Ingredients

50 dkg (17,64 oz) yellow pepper (TV paprika)

50 dkg (17,64 oz) tomato (paradicsom)

20 dkg (7,05 oz) rice (rizs)

1 onion (hagyma)

a little cooking oil (étolaj)

salt (só)

How to become master of the Hungarian kitchen #2

First, wash your amazing, delicious tomatoes, and cut the pepper into little pieces. Put the tomatoes in the boiling water for about 1-2 minutes, and after that pull down the peel. Now you can cut them into pieces. Personally, I never peel the tomatoes, because it also gives a good taste and lot of vitamin to your lecsó. What I do is that I don't eat them. My parents, however, do eat them and they would tell me: "Yeah, you are choosey again! Those peels don't bite off your tongue!"

The next step is to cut the onion(s) into pieces, add the pepper to it, and steam them a little on the oil for a few minutes. We don't hurry anywhere, so just slow down and take your time. If you want, put a little water in the frying pan, so your onion(s) won't burn. That would give a terrible taste to your lecsó.

Add the tomatoes to the onion and the pepper. Salt it as you like. Usually I don't put too much salt in it. You can salt it after the lecsó is ready. Now cover the frying pan with a topper and let the lecsó steam.

During this process cook your rice. I never use rice for my lecsó. What I put into it is one or two scrambled eggs. I truly believe that it's better with egg, but it depends on your personal taste.

When the tomato almost comes apart, put 4dl (13,53 oz) water (víz) to the frying pan and add the rice (or if you are just like me, add the scrambled eggs). Stir them and now your lecsó is ready. Enjoy it with a slice of bread. Jó étvágyat! (Enjoy your meal!) 

Notes from the writer

No special instruction is needed to the place of the ingredients. You won't have a problem to find them

I would like to an advice you, if you are not a vegetarian, to cut a little bacon or Hungarian sausage (kolbász) into your lecsó, because they make it tastier. This is my personal experience. When I was in the U.S. a few years ago, my uncle and me always used bacon (szalonna). The vegetables aren't as relish as the Hungarian vegetables. Therefore, the taste is not the same, so try to make it special by using the above mentioned ingredients. 

Coming soon...

Next week I'll show you the probably most famous Hungarian dish: the gulash (gulyás). Until then, check this video: 

       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X_JKz8hSN0

Stuffed Cabbage - Töltött káposzta

Ingredients

50 dkg (17,64 oz) sour cabbage  (savanyú káposzta)

8 (or more if you like) soured cabbage-leaf (savanyú káposztalevél)

40 dkg (14,11 oz) grout pork (darált sertéshús)

1 strand Hungarian sausage (egy szál magyar kolbász)

10 dkg (3,53 oz) bacon (szalonna)

6 dkg (2,12 oz) rice (rizs)

12 dkg (4,23 oz) grated onion (reszelt vöröshagyma)

1 egg (tojás)

4 dkg (1,41 oz) lard (sertészsír)

1-2 clove garlic (fokhagyma)

1 spoon ground red pepper (pirospaprika por)

salt (só), black pepper (fekete bors), marjoram (majoránna) as much as you like

How to become master of the Hungarian kitchen #1

Cook the rice, smash the garlic, grate the onion and stew it a little. If these are ready, mix the grout pork with the egg, the rice, 8dkg (2,82 oz) grated onion, salt, pepper and marjoram in order to get the stuffing. Make little rolls from this stuffing, and wrap them round the soured cabbage-leaves. Tuck in the end of the leaves which were dropped out, so the stuffing won't leak during the cooking.

Grip a big pot, put a layer of sour cabbage at the bottom, then a layer of the stuffed rolls. Put a few pieces of sausage and little pieces of bacon between the rolls. Continue this process till you have enough ingredients. And now, put water in the pot (the rolls must be under the water). Put a little salt, pepper, ground red pepper and marjoram in the water. The red pepper gives a nice color to our stuffed cabbage. If all these are ready, cover the pot with a topper and cook it on stage 2 or 3 (if you have a 9-stages hot plate). 

The essence of the stuffed cabbage is that it has to be cooked very slowly. What we always do at home is that we NEVER stir it during the 2 or 3 hours. We grip the handles of the pot instead and shake it in every 30 minutes. After it is boiled (taste it if it's good or not), put two rolls on a plate and put a little sour cream on the top if you like. Enjoy my favorite Hungarian meal with a slice of bread. 

Notes from the writer

Soured cabbage (savanyú káposzta) can be found in little plastic bag at the grocery or (and I prefer this one) in tins. 

You can buy soured cabbage-leaves in little packages, but if you are in Hungary go to a market, because you can find the most delicious ingredients there. Not to mention the atmosphere of these places. It's a Saturday morning ritual for me and my mom to visit the local market, and it always makes my day.

I know that you guys asked when you saw the Hungarian sausage among the ingredients "Where will I buy those sausages?" Well, I have good news. Hungarian sausage (e.g. Pick) can be seen in bigger supermarkets all around the world. I also bought a string of spicy sausage in the U.S when I've been there.

So now that you know the most important things in order to cook this meal, Let's go to the kitchen! Hope you will enjoy it.