The famous Hungarian gulyás (a.k.a goulash)

Everyone loves the most his/her mum's gulyás soup but my mum's one is really amazing. When I go home with Mr. M, he always asks her to make gulyás for him and asks me also many times in Stockholm. I always follow mum's instructions related the cooking method so did I this weekend...

First of all we need to make it clear what is gulyás. There is a nice and very detailed introduction of gulyás on wikipedia if for some reason someone wouldn't know it.

Traditional Hungarian gulyás is a soup, not a stew as it's known almost everywhere around the world. What is known for instance in Austria or Germany as gulyás, is called pörkölt (means: "roasted") in Hungary which is stew with boneless meat (beef, lamb, chicken), onion and sweet paprika powder. Some vegetables such as tomato, bell pepper, garlic can be added as well.

A lot of different versions of gulyás exist such as
- hamisgulyás - fake goulash (vegetable and beef bones are added instead of beef meat)
- babgulyás - bean goulash (use kidney beans instead of potato)
- székelygulyás - goulash á la székely (reduce potato and add some sauerkraut and sour cream)
and many many other version you can taste while travelling at the different regions of Hungary as well.

First of all I feel called upon to introduce everyone the traditional Hungarian gulyás! So here you are!

Ingredients:

40 dkg beef cut into 2x2 cm cubes

1 medium-sized onion

1 green pepper

1 tomato

1 hot green pepper (optional)

2 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika powder

1-1 medium-sized carrot and white carrot (approx. 20-25 dkg)

30 dkg potato

1 coffeespoon cumin powder

1 tablespoon gulyás cream

pinch of balck pepper

1 small bay leaf

1,5 teaspoon salt (by taste)

For the galuska
1 small egg
2/3 cup flour
1/4 cup water
pinch of salt

1. Wash the meat and cut into 2x2 cm cubes. Peel and chop the onion. Wash the green pepper and tomato, cut the pepper into slices, peel the tomato then cut also into tiny cubes.

2. Heat the oil in a saucepan, sauté the onion for about 5-10 minutes till soft then add the beef cubes and stir till it whiten. The meat will ooze some water, liquid as well. Cook the meat for about 10 minutes in it as well then sprinkle with some paprika powder.

3. Add the pepper slices, tomato, salt, gulyás cream and some water which covers all the ingredients in the sauce pan. Cover and cook above medium heat till the meat is almost soften (min. 1 hour).

4. Meanwhile peel the carrots, cut into slices, cut the peeled potatos to small cubes. Wash the hot green pepper (only if you like hot), carefully cut its stalk then add all the vegetables and about 1,2 l extra water. Season with cumin and cook under cover.

5. While your soup cooks, prepare the small noodles (galuska) in it. Beat the eggs in a small bowl, add a pinch of salt, the flour and water, mix properly to form a smooth dough. About 10 minutes before the soup is ready, take a teaspoon of dough and put in the soup. It should just slip off the spoon. Keep spoon the dough till it runs out from your small bowl.

6. If it's needed you can season with some extra salt, pepper. Take care of the hot pepper. If it wants to go to pieces but you don't like the very hot, take it out on time. :)

You can serve it with hot pepper or paprika cream, Erős Pista or as it's known abroad Red Gold Hot.

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Cherry - cottage cheese cake

When I was living in Békéscsaba, in my hometown, we often went to Gyula and always turn into the Kis Kézműves Confectionery where my favorite was the cherry cottage cheese cake. We discovered it about 15 years ago when once we come round around opening hours. We looked at the offers when the still lukewarm, nicely redolent, castor sugar-sprinkled cheese cake was brough from the abck yard. Since we don't like the traditional confectionery meringue cakes (I think who grew up with home-made cakes, couldn't swallow these confectionery cakes), we swooped down on this enticing cake immediately. We got to like it soo much that we invented that we try to prepare this cake at home as well, it can't be soo difficult...we ate it soo many times that we already knew it was made with short linzer pastry, cherry and vanilla - cottage cheese cream.

After some trial the current recipe was born, thanks to mum!!

We celebrated Adrienn-day at the work on Friday, it was evident, I bake something for this occassion.  This summer unfortuntely I hadn't prepared this cake when there was fresh cherry at the markets, but even if there is no cherry-season, we can make it with preserved cherry, it doesn't take away anything from the cake's value.

I don't need to say, it run out within 5 minutes.

Ingredients:
For the pastry:
30 dkg flour
20 dkg marge or butter
10 dkg castor sugar
1 egg yolk
pinch of salt
1/2 lemon's zest

For the cottage cheese filling:
3 dl milk
1 package vanilla pudding (I always use dr. Oetker)
15-20 dkg sugar
5 dkg marge
10-20 g vanilla sugar
1 lemon's grated zest
pinch of salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon semolina

+1 bottle of preserved cherry or 70 dkg fresh cherry

How to make the pastry: Knead the pastry's ingredients quickly until you get a solid, easily rollable pastry.  Crumble the flour with the marge, add the castor sugar, the egg yolk, the lemon zest and the salt and knead it till the pastry is nice and springy. Shape the pastry to a round loaf, cover with a kitchen towel and put in the fridge for an hour but at least for 30 minutes.

Prepare a 26-28 cm round and 2cm deep pie plate, oil properly in order the pastry not to get stuck in it. Take the pastry out from the fridge, roll on floured surface and put in a pie plate. Sprinkle a handful of semolina on the pastry, pile the cherry and prepare the below cream.

How to make the cream: Mix the pudding with the sugar then pouring the milk constantly, whisk to get a lump-free mixture. Cook a very thick cream above medium-heat, stirring it constantly, then set aside and let it cool. When it's lukewarm, addmix 5 dkg butter.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

While the ready-pudding cools, in a big bowl mix the cottage cheese with the vanilla sugar, lemon zest, salt, 1 egg yolk and semolina. Addmix the cool pudding. In another bowl whisk the egg white with a hand mixer (if you have some extra 1-2 egg whites - for instance the one which is left since making the pastry -  add also to it, so the cream will be lighter) then carefully addmix to the cottage cheese - pudding cream.

Pour this cream on the cherry then in the preheated oven bake the cake until you can see, the cottage cheese is baked and the top is light brown.

Sprinkle some castor sugar on it before serving.

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Gastro experiences at the weekend - last stop: Promenade of Hungarian Flavours

The gastro weekend arrived at its last stop on 20th August. This day we celebrate the anniversary of the foundation of the Hungarian State. There are a lot of traditional programme year by year such raising of the national flag and ceremonial officer inauguration, aerial and water parade on the Danube, ceremonial holy mass and procession of the Holy Right Hand (of our King Stephen, Founder of the State) and of course at the end of the day firework.

The Promenade of Hungarian Flavours is organized on the Danube bank every year where you can find traditional Hungarian products which are famous on account of their special ingredients, preparation.

Walking around the promenade we could see bakeries with fine breads, cheese specialities, special organic products, jams, marmalades, fruits and vegetables of primary producers, suprisingly numerous fröccs stands.

What is fröccs? Fröccs a.k.a Spitzer is a very popular alcoholic drinks in Hungary. It's wine (mostly white one) mixed with soda water. We know million different kind of fröccs, depend on the rate of wine-soda.

Turning back to the choice of the Promenade of Hungarian Flavours, I was focusing on the desserts of course.

Raj Ráchel's Flodni

This was the second year when Raj Rachel and her flodni showed up at the Promenade of Hungarian Flavours. Shame on me, I need to confess that even if I live for 2 minutes from Ráchel's confectionery, Café Noé at Wesselényi street, I have never turned into it. This statement was true until 20th August. When I saw that her stand, I didn't hesitate, I enrolled in the serpentine queue in front of it and I patiently waited for my turn comes in 35 degrees. It was worth!!! She can be rightly proud of her family recipe. I expected exactly such harmony of flavours. The plum jam, walnut, apple and poppy seed created a percfect combination of flavours. Sweet but not cloying. I just understood what Ráchel talked in one of her interview about. I can feel in the flodni that she makes it with love. Furthermore, it made her more likeable for me that she was at her stand all day and served her guests personally.

I stop talking now but I send word to who hasn't tasted this superdelicious Jewish cake yet, get to Ráchel's café immediately!

Noé Café

Address: 1072 Budapest, Wesselényi utca 13.

Open: every day 10:00-19:00, except of Friday, when 10:00-17:00

The bread of Hungary

This year the bread of St Stephen's Day was the special hops-potato bread of Gere Bakery. Its consistence was perfectly traditional Hungarian, in its flavour I felt the hops...a bit bitter with beer after-taste :) 

The cake of Hungary 2012

When I heard that this year the cake of Hungary is the apple poppy-seed cake from Szabolcs County, the creation of a confectioner, Zsolt Pintér, I was sure I will love it. Because of the poppy-seed. The Zsolt Pintér used poppy-seed, apple, a hint of cinnamon and vanilla cream for the cake. The poppy-seed with the relishable, sourish apple and soft vanilla cream was great combination.

The sugar-free cake of Hungary 2012

This year, for the first time, the sugar-free version was selected as well. The winner was an apple cake with gooseberry, made by László Zila. Unfortunately this cake was finished before I had a chance to take a photo about it.

I support the initiation of Foundation of One Drop Attention that they can show that is possible to prepare delicious cakes for the people with diabetes without processed flour or sugar and additives as well.

I like both of the cakes but I prefered the apple poppy-seed cake, on the one hand because of the poppy-seed, on the other hand because it was lighter and less sweet.

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Confectionery test 1.0 - Gerbeaud

Gerbeaud is one of the oldest and most famous café and confectionery in Budapest, Hungary. It serves traditional Hungarian desserts, cakes, pastries such as Dobos cake, Esterházy cake and Gerbeaud slice.

History of Gerbeaud

The Gerbeaud was started in 1858 with Henrik Kugler, the 3. child of a conferctionery dynasty. He acquired and prefected his knowledge during his travels in eleven European conutries, including Paris as well.

He opened his first café at József nádor Square (close to the Gerbeaud's current location) which was known as "the best ice-creams in Pest" soon. In 1870 the café moved to Vörösmarty Square. These years the Gerbeaud's coffee, special liqueurs, bon-bons, tortes and mignons were the most popular among Budapesters. Among its guests we can find the famous Hungarian composer, Franz Liszt as well.

In 1882 Kugler met for the first time Emil Gerbeaud in Paris during his journey. (Emil Gerbeaud was born in Geneva and also came from a confectionery family. He also travelled a lot within Europe to gain experiences.) 2 years later he invited the famous French confectioner to Budapest in order to make him business partner. 

Emil introduced a lot innovations, from the café's offerings via products till the new equipments of his bakery. The café's name became well-known and respected by the end of the century. His baked products were beautifully decorated, his sweets and bon-bons were packaged in special paper boxes by his own design. 

It is worth to look at the Gerbeaud's interior design as well which makes also special the café's atmosphere. 

After some history lessons let's see what you can taste in the legendary Gerbeaud. This summer I tasted three different kind of ice-cream sundaes with one of my best friend, who is also my regular ice-cream eater, cake-tester, Anna. 

Be careful, the Gerbeaud and Tiramisu sundaes' portions are amazingly huge. They were our lunch but replaced our dinner too. :) 

The Gerbeaud's ice-cream

As you can read on the menu, the Gerbeaud's homemade ice-creams are made from fresh ingredients - milk, cream, sugar (How can you see whether it is fresh or not?), eggs - according the traditional cooking and pasteurization process. Their ice-creams don't contain additional artifical colourings or additives.They use only the highest quality ingredients for their products such as Valrhona cocoa powder, Buorbon vanilla, fresh-brewed coffee and the fruit ice-creams are prepared from fresh fruits and fruit puree.

1. Gerbeaud sundae

2 scoops Gerbeaud cake (Valrhona!!), 3 scoops chocolate ice-cream, apricot purée flavoured with apricot pálinka and dried apricot, whipped cream, apricot foam, chocolate sauce and of course Gerbeaud bon-bon.

2. Tiramisu sundae

2 scoops Tiramisu, 1 scoop coffee ice-cream, 1 scoop vanilla ice-cream, 1 scoop banana ice-cream, coffee-amaretto caramel sauce, banana slices, vanilla foam, whipped cream and ladyfinger.

3. Somlói for two people

4 scoops Somlói sponge, 2 scoops vanilla ice-cream, 2 scoops chocolate ice-cream, 2 scoops walnut ice-cream, vanilla foam, 2 chocolate macarons, crispy walnut linzer and whipped cream.

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Hókifli - Traditional Hungarian dessert

This dessert was also made for the garden party yesterday. It was finished up already before lunch as the cheesy crescent rolls.

Hókifli is a traditional Hungarian christmas dessert.

Usually we make 2 different kinds of hókifli at home, it always depends on the occassion what we make it for and how much time we have for preparing. If you want fresh and soft hókifli next day as well, try this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 kg flour

3 egg yolks

5 dkg fresh yeast (+ some lukewarm milk)

40 dkg fat (or 68 dkg butter)

2 dl sour cream

20 dkg sugar

pinch of salt

For the filling:
jam - plum or apricot

Place the flour in a big bowl, mix with the salt and sugar then crumble the fat in it (traditionally we make it with fat, so the dough is softer but if you don't like fat, try with butter). 

Warm the milk, crumble the fresh yeast in it with some sugar and wait for 10 minutes.

Add the egg yolks, the sour cream and the yeast to the flour and start kneading the dough with your hands. Be careful, not knead it for a long time because the fat will melt by your hands' warm. So knead the dough fast!

When it is ready, set aside and let it sit for 1 hour. 

Place the dough on a floured surface, roll to rectangular shape and about 1-2 mm thick. Place the jam in a long thin line by one edge of the dough. Pull the edge of the dough over the filling, then roll it up little bit (the filling not to leak during the baking). Cut about 5 cm pieces and place on the baking paper on an oven pan.

Preheat the oven into 200°C then bake the hókilfi golden brown. (Be careful, the hókilfi is baked very quicky, do not burn it!) When you take the oven pan out from the oven, let it cool for a while then rotate the still warm but not hot hókilfi into powdered sugar.

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Cheesy crescent rolls

Yes, yes, yes, yes!!! Absolute success!!! These cheesy cresent rolls are always big favorite among my friends, colleagues and in our family. Today I was at a garden party where the 64 fresh and soft rolls were disappeared within half an hour.

Ingredients:
70 dkg flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 dl oil
2 dl yoghurt
2 dl milk
5 dkg fresh yeast

For the filling:
25 dkg butter (room temperature)
1 tablespoon salt

For the top:
+ 1 egg
+ 20 dkg cheese

Place the flour in a big bowl, mix it with the sugar then make a hole in the middle. Pour the fluid ingredients in the hole, the yoghurt, oil, lukewarm milk then crumble the yeast in it. Mix the ingredients carefully with a spoon and let it sit for 10 minutes.

10 minutes later knead the dough with your hands and add as much flour as the dough needs until it gets soft but not sticky.

Mix the butter with the salt and divide into 4 parts.

Preheat the oven into 220°C.

Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Take one, put on a floured surface, roll it to a plate-sized and set aside. Take another piece of dough and roll it as well. Grease 1/4 of the butter mix on the dough and place the other (already rolled) piece on this. Divide this round shape dough into 16 equal pieces with a knife (as you slice a cake). Take one slice and  roll it up starting from its wider edge. Place on the oven pan (far enough from each other because they become twice bigger in the course of baking), grease it with some egg and strew with grated cheese.

Repeat this 3 times more.

Put the oven pan into the preheated oven and bake the rolls until the cheese on their tops gets gold.

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Néró

I regularly read and follow Csak a Puffin's blog. When I saw the recipe of this pastry which reminds everyone of our childhood (in Hungary), I knew that I need to try sooner or later. To my mind only a few people makes néró at home up to this day, I think most of them dare not go about it because they consider this pastry a typical confectionery cake what they can't prepare at home.

However this won't beat me, I thought. I sent the recipe to mum to know when I go home for the weekend, we will bake nero. On Friday evening as soon as I arrived we got down to bake.   First we made the below amount what we regret because this amount proved too less.

Since then we tried other recipes as well, with different rates of flour-butter-sugar, but this was far the best, soft and short. I am sure there will be repeat.

Ingredients (small portion - to my mind :)):

25 dkg all purpose flour (+ 2-2 tablespoon cocoa powder for the cocoa biscuits, flour for the white biscuits)

20 dkg butter
1 tablespoon fat

2 eggs + 1 egg yolk

10 dkg castor sugar

30 g vanilla sugar (3 small package)

1 lemon's zest (This is one of my favorite ingredients. If it is not vary from the cake too much, I am capable to put lemon zest in everything.)

+ mum's home- made apricot jam

+ dark chocolate for decorating

In a big bowl crumb the soft butter with the flour then add the caster sugar, vanilla sugar, eggs and egg yolk, lemon zest and knead together the ingredients. When it's ready, divide it into two parts. To one half add the cocoa powder (I always use only Dutch cocoa powder), to the other half add the two additional tablespoon flour. When we mixed both doughs, put them in the fridge for half - one hour.

Because the dough was too soft to shape small balls by hand but too hard to fill it in pastry bag therefore we used cookie press what we could shape same sized biscuits on the baking paper with.

In the meantime preheated (170°C) oven bake them within 8-10 minutes. Be careful, not to burn them. 

After the biscuits cool, glue together two biscuits with apricot jam. You can put together same coloured or mixed biscuits. Finally sprinkle their tops with melted chocolate. 

Afiyet olsun!

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Trip to Szentendre and the invincible Somlói sponge cake

Yesterday I made a trip with mum to Szentendre by boat to get out from the city for a day.

Szentendre is the City what I need to visit every year. It is located at the south gate of Danube Bend, it has tiny town squares, meandering narrow streets, Serb temples, baroque buildings and it is also known for its Skanzen, the Open-Air Ethnographic Museum. The city is very famous among tourists who visits Budapest since Szentendre is accessible easily from Budapest, I can recommend to make at least a half day sightseeing trip to this cute town.

 If you visit the city you have to turn in the Szamos Museum Confectioner's, one of the most popular confectionery of Hungary which is very famous mostly for its traditional cakes, dragées, chocolate pralines and special Szamos desserts. But wherefore I love them the most is their Somlói sponge cake, one of the masterpiece of the Hungarian confectionery.

Somlói sponge is vanilia, cacao and walnut sponge cake sheets filled with raisins, walnut, decorated with chocolate dressing and whipped cream. It seems simple but it is not easy to prepare perfectly. I know because I tested Somlói in a lot of confectioneries but still the Szamos's one is the UNBEATABLE!! Soft sponge, silky vanilia cream, home made whipped cream and which is the best: the chocolate dressing with a little rum. Many confectioner ruined it with making the chocolate cream too watery and sweet but Szamos always finds the perfect rate.

My mum chose mixed fruit cottage cheese cake.

Christmas Museum was opened in the old town some time ago where gastro bloggers can find christmas tree ornaments.

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