Hannah and Shay make Hungarian food.
In the heart of Central Europe, lies Hungary, a landlocked country brimming with its own culture and traditions. The people of Hungary, the Magyar people, have helped shape the culinary practices of this European nation and vice versa. A nomadic people, the Magyars relied heavily on livestock, as well as fresh breads and seasonal vegetables and fruits, to help sustain them in cold winters. Hungarian cuisine combines the culinary styles of Central and Eastern Europe, while still setting itself apart with its world-famous salamis, distinctive fruit soups, and liberal use of paprika.
Today we decided to make the world famous chicken paprikash, which I had never properly tasted before. It’s mind boggling how so much flavor comes forward in a dish with such few ingredients. Chicken paprikash is like those 1980s Hollywood classics where the nerdy main character takes her glasses off and is all of the sudden the hottest girl in school. It busts through the doors on prom night like “Look at me, world. I’m delicious.” A silky gravy of paprika, garlic, and sour cream envelopes the chicken as it cooks, creating the desirable “fall-off-the-bone” effect that only happens with a slow cook. We served this with Nokedli, which is essentially spaetzle, a quick rustic pasta, made by sifting batter through small openings, in our case, a slotted spoon. From what we read, this IS the accompaniment with this dish and we can see why. It’s the perfect neutral base for such a luxurious chicken gravy.
On the side we made Töltött Káposzta, a dish that takes pork and cabbage to a whole new level….by adding more pork and cabbage. Imagine; a bed of sauteed onions doused in paprika, upon which cabbage-swaddled ground pork seasoned to perfection is resting. (If you think I’m done explaining this, you’re incorrect.). On top of this, is a mixture of onion and sauerkraut with slices of kielbasa nestled into the top. Wow. This could have been our main dish, as there was so much going on here. The contrast between the two varieties of cabbage and pork really added to this dish, especially the notes of tartness from the sauerkraut.
We made yet another cucumber salad, and dare I say, this was more simple than the rest. Cucumber, fresh dill, paprika, and vinegar made the perfect intermission for our tastebuds. A heavy meal like this needs something light and bright to keep everything together.
To tell you the truth, we almost did not choose Hungary for one of our choices for the European season and we are very glad we changed our minds on that. Every dish we prepared is something we will most definitely cook again. Just eating this food gives you the feeling of eating something someone’s grandmother had prepared. And we want to chase that feeling. We think you should too. Go cook some Hungarian food.
FOR FULL RECIPE:
https://www.dinnernational.com/post/s03e04-hungarian-chicken-paprikash-nokedli-with-tltött-káposzta-cucumber-dill-salad
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