Cooking Recipes and Gastronomical Information

Hungarian Cooking Recipes An enchanting country with a rich culinary history, Hungary’s food and spices are deeply intertwined with its national identity. What would Hungary be without the goulash – or paprika! Here are a couple of recipes that you can prepare, and think about Hungary no matter where you are in the world.

Hungarian Goulash
There are many varieties to the Hungarian Goulash, although locals will agree that you haven’t fully experienced the richness of this dish until tasting beef goulash. Vegetarians, however, are permitted to substitute with a non-meat alternative when cooking this recipe for the Hungarian Goulash.

Ingredients:
· 20 ounces onions, finely cut
· 1/2 cup olive oil
· 8 chopped garlic cloves
· 1 crushed bell pepper (without seeds)
· 4 tablespoons paprika from Hungary
· 2 pounds stewing beef
· 1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper
· 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
· 2 cans of hand-crushed tomatoes
· 1 teaspoon seeds of caraway
· Salt
· 4 bay leaves

With a deep pan heat up the oil and sauté the bell pepper and onions until the latter is translucent, at which point the garlic can be added, let cook for about 30-45 seconds and then throw in the meat and salt to taste. Simmer the mixture for a few minutes (be sure to cover it) and add the caraway and the paprika, the bay leaves and the pepper when the meat begins to look as if it has been cooked. Stir occasionally for a few minutes then add the tomatoes, and simmer that on low heat for about 1 hour or until the meat is soft. You can take out the bay leaves at this point, and serve it hot. This recipe yields between 8-10 servings.

Sweet Paprika PorkLike any good Hungarian plate, the goulash certainly makes use of paprika. Sweet Paprika Pork, however, does an even more emphatic job of showcasing this delicious spice, truly bring a slice of Hungary into your home.

Ingredients:
· 2 teaspoons olive oil
· 2 sliced onions
· 4 minced garlic cloves
· 2 chopped tomatoes
· 2 chopped red bell peppers
· 2 chopped green bell peppers
· 2 cups chicken broth
· 4 tablespoons Hungarian paprika, sweet
· 2 tenderloins of pork (the equivalent of 1 ½ pounds)
· 6 tablespoons white flour
· 2/3 cup sour cream
· 12 ounces egg noodles

Directions:
Using the olive oil, sauté the garlic and onions then add the pepper, paprika, tomatoes and a cup of broth, take the heat back down and simmer while slicing up the pork into 4 well-beat slivers and cook in a separate pan with the oil, brown each slice on both sides, then add the veggies and sauté together while whipping together the flour and what’s left of the chicken broth. Take out the pork then put this flour mixture into the same ban and heat it up, then add the sour cream. Once that’s ready pour it over the noodles, and lay the pork fillets out on top of that. If you’re feeling extra Hungarian, garnish with a heavy dose of paprika and some parsley if you have any lying around. Serves 8.