A taste of Hungary, food you can make at home.

Gulyás Leves Gulyás soup

One of the most satisfying aspects of a gathering of family and friends is a meal shared around a table. On winter evenings by the glow of lamps and candles, the aroma of soup and warm bread wafting through the house is most tempting and comforting. Whatever the occasion soup is the answer. One of the best in the world is Gulyás, from Hungary.

First and foremost gulyás is a soup, not a stew, only in exported versions is it ever a stew.

It is easy to make here, with readily available ingredients. It is inexpensive, and easy. The only requirement is that you use only Hungarian paprika, available in most supermarkets, be sure it is imported from Hungary. I emphasize this because it makes a difference in the taste.

Hungarian paprika is bright red, like blood, if it is brownish, it is either too old or not the real deal. It can be hot or sweet, sweet meaning not that it tastes sweet, just that it is not spicy.

The soup is made in various ways, depending on local custom. Originally it was made by the men who tended the gray long horned cattle called gulya, that live on the Hortobágy, or plains of Hungary. They made it over an open campfire in a pot hung from a tripod over the fire called a bogrács. Essentially it is made using the beef from the cattle, and root vegetables, after that come the variations. I would like to share my family's version for you to enjoy. Ingredients are always estimated and can be varied to suit individual tastes.

Use a large stock pot, a good sturdy stainless steel or copper

Beef, 1.5 to 2.5 lbs preferably a cheaper cut like chuck or stew meat, it should have a good veining of fat. Be sure to remove only the thick slab like fat. Always leave some behind, meat without fat does not cook well and has less flavor.

Onion several cloves of garlic

Several carrots 3 or 4

Several parsnips, or parsley roots 2 or3

One celery root, NOT the green stalks, the gnarly bulb

Potatoes , if you like, I do not add them

Home made dumplings

Salt, pepper, HUNGARIAN PAPRIKA and ground caraway seeds, which can be ground in a pepper mill.

Beef stock, I prefer Swanson's original I generally use the 48 oz box and use 3 or 4 depending on the amount of soup I want

Bit of olive oil, lard is good but seldom used these days

Directions

Peel and chop the onions and garlic into small pieces. Film the stock pot with the oil, not too thickly, heat on high, add the chopped onions and garlic and turn heat to medium, cook until onions are transparent, limp and shiny, not crisp, Meanwhile chop the beef into small bite sized bits and add to the onions, continue cooking on medium til the meat is all gray, and no pink shows, stir frequently to make sure all of the meat chunks are cooking, add a bit of salt and pepper. When all of the meat is gray pour in the beef stock. While the stock heats peel and slice the carrots and parsnips into thick slices. Clean and chop the celery root into chunks. If the ball is very large use only half. Add the Hungarian paprika, 4or 5 generous tablespoonfuls. You can mix sweet and hot for added flavor or use just sweet, I do not recommend using only hot unless you like your food very spicy. Add the caraway seeds, 1 or 2 tea spoonfuls. If you do not like caraway, use it anyway, it is not individually identifiable in the end product, but it is an important part of the whole. When it comes to a slow boil turn the heat to the lowest simmer, cover and allow to cook. Enjoy the appetizing aroma while it cooks. Taste as often as you like. If you want potatoes in it, add them about an hour later, raw peeled and chopped to bite sized pieces and slide them in slowly, stir and taste. When the meat is tender and broth flavorful it is ready. Cooking time is several hours and it can be made to this point in advance. Leave it on the stove without heat till you are ready to eat.

When you are ready to eat reheat, but do not boil, taste for seasoning and add any adjustment before making and adding the dumplings. Any leftovers can be refrigerated or frozen.

Dumplings or better known as Nokedli

1 egg per person for a soup 3 is usual and 4 if the soup is very large quantity.

I tbs butter or margarine per egg

3/4 cup of flour per egg DO NOT use self rising. I use all purpose unbleached

generous pinch of salt

tap water as needed you can also add a small ladle full of the soup broth

Place all ingredients in a bowl, mix with a fork and add water a little at a time, when all is incorporated beat with the fork till blisters form on the thick batter. You do this by holding the bowl to your body with one arm and beat the mass toward yourself with the fork. It is better if it is a little runny then too dry and thick. Taste for salt, it should not be too floury to the taste.

If you have the equipment to set on top of the pot, you know what to do. If you do not you simply spoon the batter into the HOT soup one SMALL tea spoonful at a time. Start with a wet spoon, dip into soup each time and make the nokedli as small as you can, they grow a bit in the pot. Stir frequently while adding nokedli If you can you may also put a bit of batter on a small chopping board, place board on the lip of the pot and scrape bits of batter with the back of a knife, into the soup. This is the traditional way. They are done when you are finished with all the batter.

Serve the soup with crusty country bread, warmed in the oven. You can cut the bread in half lengthwise to make the inside toasty and crunchy, rub it with a split clove of garlic and cut into thick slabs. The wine should be red, a Rioja is our favorite choice because Hungarian wines are not always available.

*** FYI the soup should be clear not thickened in any way. Try the nokedli with just one egg just to practice, as the eggs increase, decrease the flour a bit. I usually make the soup the day before because the flavor strengthens with time, and add the nokedli just before serving. The soup is a meal, it is usually followed with a dessert, that will be my next post coming in a day or two.

Feel free to post any questions or comments.