Hortobágyi palacsinta
This is my all time favorite hungarian appetizer and it's scrumptious. It might look like a lot of work, but it isn't. Hortobágyi palacsinta is a savory Hungarian pancake/crepe with a meat filling. The meat is prepared as a stew; cubed meat is fried with onions and spices like the pörkölt or the paprikás dish, using, veal, veal with mushrooms, chicken or Hungarian sausage. Our version is with chicken so you get a lighter dish and it's not heavy. The pancakes are filled with the meat, tucking in the ends, and are baked in the oven with a paprika and tejföl (sour cream) sauce.
The history of this dish is contrary to what most people believe. Some think it originated from the Hortobágy region of the Great Hungarian Plain but that's not true. It was actually invented for the 1958 Brussels World Fair. However some Hungarian recipe books already featured a similar recipe in the 1930s. The name of the food is simply a marketing trick.
I'm personally glad they invented it..for whatever purpose. :)
For the Pörkölt (meat stew), you'll need:
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup onions, diced
- ½ lb. cubed veal (or chicken)
- 2 small tomatoes, diced
- ½ cup water
- 2 tsp paprika
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Crêpes
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup milk
- Sauce from the pörkölt
- ½ cup sour cream
- ⅛ cup flour
Put the eggs, flour and milk in a bowl and whisk until you get a smooth batter. Don't over whisk.
Take a non stick frying pan and add 1¼ tsp of oil and heat. Add a ladle of batter by swirling the pan so the batter coats the base of the pan. You want to make the coating thin (about 1.5 mm – 0.06 inch thick). When you see the edges slightly dry and curling, it is time to flip it over. Do so by using a plastic spatula to loosen its sides first and then flip it over. Cook it for a minute more, then remove it from the pan and keep it aside on a plate. Using all your batter, make a stack of crêpes.
Using a medium sized pot, put the extra virgin olive oil and the chopped onions and sauté them until translucent. Add the meat and sauté it until brown. Add the diced tomatoes and water and stir well. Sprinkle the paprika and mix well. Cook for a few minutes, until the sauce thickens.
Using a food processor, blend the chicken stew and with a spoon, place in the middle of the crêpes and fold them up like burritos. Spray an oven proof dish with cooking spray or oil and place the filled crêpes in it. Keep it aside.
Combine the pörkölt sauce with ⅛ cup of flour and ½ a cup of sour cream and whisk until smooth. Pour the sauce over the crêpes and bake in a preheated oven at 175°C – 350°F for 15 minutes.
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