INGREDIENTS:
4 chicken breasts
4 tablespoons plain flour
2 eggs (beaten)
3 cups fresh breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese (finely grated) (optional)
salt & pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

DIRECTIONS:
Place a chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap and gently beat with a meat hammer until about 5mm in thickness. Repeat with the remaining breasts.

Generously season the flour with salt & pepper and tip onto a plate.

Tip the beaten egg onto a separate large bowl.

Tip the breadcrumbs into large bowl, season well with salt & pepper and mix in the parmesan cheese (if using).

Flour a chicken breast and pat off the excess, dip into the egg, then into the breadcrumbs. Press the crumbs into the chicken then place on a plate while you repeat the process with the remaining chicken breasts. Cover the schnitzels with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This will help the crumbs stay on the chicken when you fry them.

Heat a large frying pan with the butter over a moderate heat (not to high or the breadcrumbs will burn and the chicken won’t cook). When the butter bubbles then settles, add two of the schnitzels to the pan. Fry for 3 minutes either side, until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. Cook the next two schnitzels the same way.

SERVING:
I served mine with a little sour cream, sauerkraut, potatoes and pickles.

INGREDIENTS:
2 onions (finely sliced)
4 cloves garlic (sliced)
4 tablespoons butter
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 large tomatoes (chopped)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
freshly ground black pepper
1kg chicken thighs (cut in halves)
500ml chicken stock
1 cup sour cream

DIRECTIONS:
In a large heavy pan, melt the butter over a moderate heat until bubbling. Add the onions, garlic and bay leaves and fry for 7 minutes until soft and golden. Take off the heat and stir in the sweet and smoked paprikas. Return to the heat and stir in the tomatoes and mix until slightly puply – about 5 minutes. Add the chicken and bring to a heat, then pour over the chicken stock.

Bring to a simmer, then cook, uncovered for 1 hour, until the chicken is very tender. Pour in the sour cream and season with salt & pepper. Bring to a heat, where the sauce is just beginning to bubble. remove from the heat and serve.

SERVING:
Serve yours with rice or, as I did with lashings of mashed potatoes.

If there was ever a meal that left me weak at the knees it’s a good old fashioned Hungarian goulash. When I was in Hungary, I learned that, goulash is actually a soup and goulash, the casserole as I knew it is called Pörkölt. Here’s a recipe for a beef version… It’s fantastic. In Hungary, I was served this with a magical “Crown” of pork fat! I was only occasionally allowed to eat this (due to an ever zealous partner AND expanding waistline – much to my dismay). An actual crescent of pork fat! How fabulous! If only I had been born a Hungarian…

RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS:
For the pörkölt:
1kg beef steak (cut into medium chunks)
2 medium onions
60g unsalted butter
5 tablespoons olive oil
20g Hungarian paprika (sweet or combination of sweet and hot to your taste)
1 teaspoon salt
4 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 large green capsicum (diced)
1 large tomato (diced)

For the spätzle:
2 cups plain flour
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of white pepper
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter (or light olive oil)

DIRECTIONS:
For the pörkölt:
In a large lidded pan, melt the oil and butter and fry the onions for about 3 minutes. Add the paprika and stir for 30 seconds, add the beef and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water, 1/2 the garlic, caraway and salt. Put the lid on, reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes stirring regularly. Add water in 1/4 cups if neccessary.
Add the capsicum and tomatoes and remaining garlic and cook for a further 30 minutes. Serve hot. Even better the next day.

For the spätzle:
Seive the flour with the salt and pepper into a large bowl. Gently combine the eggs with the milk then add to the flour. Stir well for form a thick batter.

Bring a large panful of water to a rolling boil. Hold a large colander over the pan and add some of the batter. With a wooden spoon, push the batter through the holes into the water. When the little spätzle float to the top, let them simmer for 30 seconds then fish them out. Add to a bowl and mix well with the butter or oil to stop them sticking together. Repeat the process with the remaining batter mix.

SERVING:
Serve the pörkölt alongside the spätzle. There’s no need for any vegetables – I’m sure the Hungarians don’t even have a word for it.

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It’s about a year ago that I visited Hungary. What a beautiful place Budapest was, and the food! Well, it’s a bit of a dream for me. Everything is cooked in lard, nothing is particularly healthy and you aren’t scowled upon if you don’t have a single vegetable on your plate. Here’s a delicious recipe for one of their best dishes. Hungarian paprika is best for this so try and hunt it down.

RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 kg chicken thighs and breasts mixed (cut into big chunks)
50g lard (or butter)
2 onions (finely chopped)
2 green capsicums (seeded and sliced)
1 heaped tablespoon paprika
salt & pepper
2 tomatoes (quartered)
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup sour cream

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the lard/butter in a lidded pan over a medium heat, fry the onions gently with a little salt for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add 1/2 of the capsicums and fry gently for a further 3-4 minutes until soft. Add the paprika stir once and add 1/2 cup warm water and stir. Add the chicken pieces and stir well. Add the tomato and a little pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and gently simmer for 30 minutes (adding a little water after 15 minutes if neccessary).
Mix the sour cream with the flour and a tablespoon water, turn up the heat to medium and tip the mixture into the pan. Add the rest of the capsicums and stir well until the sauce is hot again and starts to thicken. Simmer for 5 more minutes before serving.

SERVING:
If we’re being authentic, the Hungarians would probably dollop some cream over it and maybe a side of roast pork fat for good measure. We however, ate it with pasta and it was pretty good.

I decided a no meat night was in order tonight so made this hearty vegetable stew which hails from the Balkans. I had something very similar in a restaurant in Sydney about a year ago and it was delicious. Sadly I can never experience it again at that restaurant – my friend and I shamefully tried to do a runner at the end of our meal. Mistake. We were pursued, and caught by our burly Czech waitress. The humiliation of it all.

RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS:
1 aubergine
120g okra (halved lengthways)
225g frozen peas
225g green beans (cut into 2.5cm pieces)
2 onions (finely chopped)
450g potatoes (peeled and diced into 2.5cm cubes)
4 zucchini (cut into 1cm slices)
1 red capsicum (seeded and sliced)
1x400g can of chopped tomatoes
150ml vegetable stock
4 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons continental parsley (chopped)
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
salt & pepper

TOPPING:
3 medium tomatoes (sliced)
1 zucchini (sliced)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 190ºC.
Combine all the vegetables in a large casserole dish (with a lid). In a separate bowl, combine the tomatoes, stock, oil, parsley, paprika, caraway and salt & pepper. Pour this over the vegetables and stir well. Now arrange the additional zucchini and tomatoes over the top of the mixture. Add a final sprinkle of salt & pepper. Pop on the lid tightly and cook in the oven for 60-70 minutes.

SERVING:
Hot with some crusty bread.