Paprika Potatoes

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This is a kind of creamy potato stew, often served as a side dish to accompany roasted meats. It’s also an excellent “comfort food” for cold winter evenings.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter or lard

  • 1 large or 2 medium onions, chopped

  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced

  • 2 tablespoons Hungarian mild or medium-hot paprika

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds

  • 2 pounds new potatoes (or 6 to 8 medium-size boiling potatoes), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

  • 1-1/2 to 2 cups warm chicken stock

  • 1 cup pure sour cream (containing no additives)

Instructions

Melt the butter or lard in a large saucepan. Add the onions and sauté over medium-high heat until they are translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Reduce heat to very low and stir in paprika, salt, and caraway seeds. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the potatoes and enough warm chicken stock to barely cover them. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender but not falling apart. Stir in the sour cream and serve immediately.

 

Paprika Pork Chops

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My husband is an excellent cook of Hungarian foods. Following is his personal recipe for Paprika Pork Chops, a classic dish from Central Europe.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon mild Hungarian paprika

  • 1 tablespoon medium-hot Hungarian paprika

  • 4 pork chops (about 1/2-inch thick), trimmed of all fat

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 2 medium onions, thinly sliced crosswise and separated into rings

  • 4 to 6 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • 3/4 cup medium-sweet to sweet Hungarian white wine

  • 2 tablespoons Hungarian apricot brandy (barackpálinka) or other brandy

  • 2 tablespoons pure sour cream (containing no additives)

  • Garnish: Strips of pickled mild red peppers

Instructions

Mix the paprikas together in a shallow bowl, spreading the powder evenly across the bottom of the bowl. Rinse the pork chops under cold water, then dredge both sides of each wet pork chop in the paprika, making sure the entire surface of both sides is covered with paprika.

Heat the butter and oil together over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the onions and sauté until they are soft.

Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Push the onions and garlic to the side of the pan and add the pork chops in one layer. Brown the pork chops on both sides, about 4 minutes on each side. Add more cooking oil if necessary.

Stir in the wine and brandy. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and simmer the pork chops a minimum of 10 minutes on each side, depending on their thickness.

Remove the pork chops to a serving platter and keep them warm. Stir together the onions, garlic, and juices left in the pan. Increase the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is the consistency of a thick soup. Reduce the heat and add the sour cream, mixing well. Pour this sauce over the pork chops and garnish with the pickled pepper strips.

Serve hot, accompanied by egg noodles or boiled potatoes and a medium-dry Hungarian white wine.

 

Paprika Fish Soup

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Sometimes called “the bouillabaisse of Hungary,” Paprika Fish Soup is simplicity itself. It originated centuries ago with the fishermen who cooked it in big metal pots over campfires on the embankments of Hungary’s great rivers, including the Danube. In Hungary this fish soup often contains several kinds of local fresh fish—carp, catfish, sterlet, pike, perch, bream, whatever is available as the catch of the day.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds freshwater fish filets or 3 pounds whole freshwater fish (preferably a mixture of 2 or 3 kinds of fish)

  • 2 medium onions, sliced into very thin rounds

  • 3 tablespoons mild Hungarian paprika (or 2 tablespoons mild paprika and 1 tablespoon hot paprika)

  • 2 to 3 crushed dried cherry peppers (or 1 to 2 tablespoons crushed dried red pepper flakes)

  • 1 tablespoon salt

  • Water

Instructions

If using fish filets (fresh or frozen/thawed), wash them under cold water and set aside. If using whole fish, clean and eviscerate them, then cut the fish into 3-inch chunks. Save the heads and tails to add to the cooking pot for flavor.

Put a layer of sliced onions on the bottom of a large (6-quart) stockpot. Add a layer of fish and sprinkle it with some of the paprika, crushed cherry peppers or pepper flakes, and salt. Continue making layers of onion, fish, and spices until all of the ingredients are in the pot. Add enough cold water to barely cover the fish.

Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and let the soup simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour. Do not stir the soup during this time, but occasionally shake the pot gently from side to side. At the end of 1 hour, taste and add more salt if desired.

Serve hot, dividing the fish evenly among shallow soup bowls for each diner.

Coffee Spice-Rubbed Ribeye with Smoky Tomato/Red Chile

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Roasted coffee beans can be just as intense and flavor packed as the fresh spices I use in barbecue rubs, like cumin and peppercorns. Ground with a whole pack of spices, coffee adds richness and a toasty bitterness to this rub, my new favorite for beef and lamb. And roasted coffee and smoky chipotle together have as much jolt as a double espresso.

Ingredients

 For the Rub:

  • 1/4 cup ancho chile powder

  • 1/4 cup finely ground espresso-roast coffee beans

  • 2 tablespoons sweet paprika

  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

  • 1 tablespoon dry mustard

  • 1 tablespoon salt

  • 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano

  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander

  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger

  • 2 teaspoons chile de arbol powder

For the Salsa:

  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 2 teaspoons chipotle puree

  • 3 ripe large tomatoes, diced

  • 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced

  • 1 serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped

  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

  • 2 teaspoons honey

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Steaks:

  • 2 (24-ounce) bone-in or (20-ounce) boneless ribeye steaks, cut 2 inches thick

  • Salt and coarsely ground black pepper

Instructions

For the Rub:

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl or a jar with a tight-fitting lid and mix well.

Note: The rub keeps well for months, stored at room temperature in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.

For the Salsa:

Whisk together the vinegar, oil and chipotle puree in a medium bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Note: The relish can be made a few hours in advance, covered, and kept refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using.

 

For the Steaks:

Heat your grill to high.

Season the steaks with salt and pepper. Rub 2 tablespoons of the coffee rub onto one side of each steak. Grill the steaks rub side down, until lightly charred and crusty, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the steaks over, reduce the heat to medium or move to a cooler part of the grill, close the grill hood, and grill until medium-rare, 8 to 10 minutes more.

Remove the steaks from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes.

Cut the steaks into 1-inch-thick slices and serve immediately, topped with tomato salsa.

 

Grilled Tuna with Red Chile, Allspice, and Orange Glaze

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Anchos are the dried chiles I use most for they have the best balance of fruity, spicy and earthy flavors. Ancho powder gives this glaze its appealing brick-red color and warm—not fiery—flavor. I definitely find that tuna needs intense flavors, like orange and allspice, to lighten it up and show off that meaty texture.

Ingredients

The Glaze:

  • 3 cups orange juice

  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar

  • 2 teaspoons ground allspice

  • 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder

  • 1/2 cup mild vegetable oil, such as canola

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

The Tuna:

  • 4 (8-ounce) tuna fillets or steaks, 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick

  • Mild vegetable oil, such as canola

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

The Sauce 

Place the orange juice in a medium saucepan (not aluminum or cast-iron) and boil until reduced to 1/2 cup.

Transfer the orange syrup to a blender, add the vinegar, allspice, and ancho powder, and blend until combined. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and process until emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Note: The glaze can be made a few days in advance, covered, and kept refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using.

The Tuna

Heat your grill to high.

Set aside a few tablespoons of glaze for brushing the cooked fish. Brush the fish on both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper. Put the fish on the grill with the top side down (in other words, the side that will face up when you serve, so it should be the best-looking side). Grill the fish until crusty and browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Turn the fish over and grill, brushing the top frequently with the glaze, until medium-rare, 2 to 3 minutes longer.

Remove the fish from the grill and brush on both sides with the reserved glaze. Serve immediately.