Rooted in a Hungarian Feast

About author / Pamela Chester

Mom of two; graduate French Culinary Institute; kids cooking program instructor; Master's degree in food studies. Creates kid friendly foods and loves her slow cooker.

Few things are more satisfying than a nice meal and time spent around the table with a group of friends. Recently I had the good fortune to be invited to a dinner that was planned and cooked by a Hungarian American friend (His parents are first generation Hungarian immigrants). The menu was centered around his traditional favorite dishes with the recipes coming straight from his mother’s collection, starting with a delicious earthy mushroom soup, followed by a main course of chicken with sour cream paprika sauce (Chicken Paprikash), flour dumplings (nokedli or galuska), cucumber salad and beets.

He also offered around glasses of a strong red wine—“bulls blood” wine, which was traditionally popularized as a medicine to strengthen the stomach and originated in the fifteenth century. It was rumored to give soldiers strength in their battles against Turkish armies. For us, it provided strength to keep eating all of the delicious food. For dessert we had crepes with various fillings. All in all it was an excellent meal and a way to learn about a heritage that is unfamiliar to me.

Although my grandmother was of Hungarian origin (I am a quarter Hungarian myself), I did not grow up eating any Hungarian dishes. My knowledge of Hungarian cuisine is limited to a few different types of Christmas cookies, so I really appreciated the chance to try all of these traditional dishes. Of course my thoughts then turned towards how to easily adapt some of these dishes to the slow cooker.

The main course, chicken slowly braised with a rich paprika sauce could definitely be made in the slow cooker. This dish makes an ideal weeknight supper or can be dressed up with the various side dishes for a fancier dinner. The sour cream in the Chicken Paprikash should be added at the end of the cooking time; adding it to early will cause it to curdle. Cooking the chicken on the bone will add much more flavor. If you like, you can take the chicken off the bone once it is cooked.

A word about the paprika— you can use either sweet or hot paprika depending on your personal taste—I prefer sweet paprika which has a less sharp but still spicy flavor. Make sure that it is fresh. Older paprika tends to have rusty brownish appearance rather than the bright red it should be. I have started buying my spices from Penzey’s, a wonderful source that offers various sizes containers including smaller one ounce jars. This way I can try new spices or purchase smaller amounts of the spices I use less frequently without the risk of half of the jar going bad before I can use it up.

Another Eastern European favorite, goulash (a stew made with beef, onions, peppers, and paprika) would easily adapt to the slow cooker. Both dishes are best served over hot noodles or spaetzle. You can serve side dishes of a simple and refreshing cucumber and onion salad and/or pickled beets with this meal.

While everyone was relaxing after the dinner party, I heard my friend calling his mother to report on the success of the evening's festivities. It was apparent by the tone of the conversation what pride they both took in these wonderful recipes and sharing part of their heritage with others. If you have a favorite family recipe, I encourage you to do the same, and all the better if it is adaptable to the slow cooker.

Serves/Makes: 6

• 1 1/2 cup water
• 5 pounds chicken pieces, skin removed
• 1 cup canned tomatoes
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 2 tablespoons sweet or hot paprika
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sour cream