National Hungarian Stew

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 3 onions, finely chopped
• 1 pound lean beef stew meat
• 4 potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 small can tomato paste
• Salt and pepper, to taste (½ teaspoon each is suggested)
• 2 to 4 Tablespoons paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup sour cream

Procedure

1. Heat olive oil and butter in a large pot.
2. Add onions and beef, and cook until beef is browned on all sides and onions are softened.
3. Add remaining ingredients, except sour cream, and stir gently with a wooden spoon.
4. Heat until liquid begins to bubble.
5. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer stew 1½ to 2 hours.
6. Stir in sour cream and simmer about 15 more minutes.
7. Serve with crusty bread.

Serves 6.

Hungarian Goulash

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1½ pounds beef (round steak or boneless chuck), cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 onions, coarsely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried garlic
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups beef broth, homemade or canned
• 1 cup canned stewed tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons Hungarian paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 carrots, cut into ½-inch slices
• 2 green peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Caraway seeds

Procedure

1. Heat oil in skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, add beef, and cook, stirring continually, until brown (about 5 minutes).
2. Reduce heat to medium, add onions and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes more until onions are soft. Stir frequently.
3. Add water, beef broth, tomatoes, paprika, caraway seeds, and bay leaves, reduce to simmer, cover, and cook for 1 hour.
4. Add potatoes, carrots, green peppers, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes more or until vegetables are tender.
5. Before serving, remove bay leaves and discard.
6. Serve in individual bowls with chunks of crusty bread for dunking. Both a fork and spoon are needed to eat gulyás.

Serves 6 to 8.

Paprika Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, sliced in rings
• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 1½ Tablespoons Hungarian paprika
• 1½ pound chicken, washed, cut up and salted
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 1 tomato, sliced
• ¼ pound mushrooms (optional)
• ½ cup sour cream (optional)

Procedure

1. Sauté onion rings in butter in a medium pot or a Dutch oven until you can see through them.
2. Remove from heat and add paprika, chicken, half of the green pepper and half of the tomato.
3. Cover tightly with a lid and simmer slowly for 1½ hours.
4. Occasionally turn pieces over so they will cook evenly.
5. If necessary, add small amounts of water.
6. If mushrooms are used, add during last 15 minutes of cooking time.
7. When meat is tender, transfer to a baking dish.
8. Make pan gravy, scraping onion from the pan and adding a little water.
9. Pour over chicken.
10. Garnish with remaining green pepper and tomato.
11. Cover with foil and keep warm in the oven at a low temperature until ready to serve.
12. Sour cream can be added to the gravy.

Serves 4.

Stuffed Green Peppers

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons rice
• 6 green peppers
• 1 medium-sized onion, finely-chopped
• 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 pound ground meat
• 1 egg
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2½ cups tomato sauce