Werner’s Hungarian Chicken Goulash Serving for 4 to 6

1 whole chicken, cut-up: or 4- 6 chicken breasts with skin. 1 large or 2 medium onions, diced . 2 green or red bell peppers cut into strips, one of each works nice. 1 or 2 Hungarian pepper s (optional for more of a spicy hot tang) 1 or 2 tomatoes cut into wedges 4 to 6 potatoes, peeled and diced into large chuncks ½ glove of garlic, diced and crushed (optional) 2 tablespoons of Hungarian paprika, don’t use Spanish or American paprika. 2 level tablespoons of salt (or salt to taste) 1 level teaspoon of black pepper 1 tablespoon of caraway seeds (optional, the least important ingredient ) 1 or 2, 10-12 oz. can of chicken broth (optional , makes for a richer broth, most beneficial of the options) 1 8oz. can of tomato sauce (optional, use for a richer red, broth) 4 -6 tablespoons of vegetable oil ( before cholesterol, in the old days, Hungarians used bacon grease, Dad made it that way )

-In a large stewing pot, brown onions in vegetable oil or bacon fat, frequently stir up onions, be careful not to blacken or burn onions. When onions start to brown , reduce heat to very low, and stir in paprika. Keep stirring paprika with onions. The less you cook the paprika, the redder the sauce will be. The longer you cook t he paprika, caramelizing it, the more brownish the sauce will be. Your preference, but be careful not to burn onions and paprika. The Werner kids like the redder sauce. -Pour in can of chicken broth and 3 cans of tap water, about a quart of water. If you don’t have chicken broth, add 6cups of water. -Add all spices and vegetables, except for the potatoes and stir-up. Taste for saltiness; add salt, or if too salty, don’t worry , potatoes soak up salt. -Add chicken pieces. -Place potatoes on top, add wate r if necessary to cover potatoes half -way. You want to steam the potatoes. - Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer boil, cover and boil for 1 to 1 ½ hours. When potatoes are soft when poked with a fork, it’s done. Midway, you may want to stir -up the potatoes a little so they cook evenly and taste the broth – last chance to make seasoning adjustments.

Egg Drop Dumplings 6 eggs Milk 1 lb. all purpose flour 2 tablespoons of salt

-In a large bowl, beat eggs with a little milk , like you’re making scrambled eggs. - Add flour and salt to the scrambled eggs and stir into a dough. If you need a little more liquid, add a little water, a tablespoon at a time, to absorb all the flour. Be careful not to add too much water. If dough is too runny, add a little flour. Dough should be of consistency like the Pillsbury oven dinner rolls. Set dough in refrigerator for about 20 minutes. A mixer works well with this if you have one. - In a large pot, bring about 3 to 4 quarts of water to a boil, add tablespoon of salt to the water. -Here’s the big trick! When the water reaches a rapid boil, d ip a teaspoon into the boiling water first; otherwise, the dumpling dough will stick to the spoon. With the side of the teaspoon, scoop ¼ to ½ of spoon size dough and dip into water, keep dipping the dumplings into the water. The dumplings sink and then float to the top whe n done. Water level should be 2 or more inches below the top of the pot since all the dumplings will float to the top. Cooking is about 15 minutes. When most dumplings are floating turn over dumplings in the boiling water so dumplings on top get submerged again to make sure they get cooked thoroughly. -Strain off water or pour into a sieve. Cover until ready to serve.

When serving the goulash, spoon a lot of broth over the potatoes and dumplings. Garnish the veggies over the chicken for a nice presentation. Tell your quests to mash the potatoes into the gravy with their forks for the most favor. Must serve with French bread or good old German rye bread; the best part is soaking up the gravy with some buttered bread. Candle light and Frank Sinatra add to the favor. If you’re a true Hungarian , you may like some Hungarian waltzes playing.

Options: If you don’t have time to make the dumplings serve with noodles, rice, barley or cous cous. Beef, pork or veal cubes can be substituted for the chicken; however, they must be browned first in a little oil or bacon fat and set aside while the onions are browned. Here, you want more of a brown gravy (skip the tomato sauce, see above). Cooking time is about 2 – 2 ½ hours for tender meat, especially for the beef. Add potatoes later for the last hour of cooking. As an option, an old Hungarian favorite is blending in ½ to 1 cup of s our cream just before full boil. Goulash Soup can be made by adding a little more water , using less potato, skipping the caraway seeds and dicing everything smaller. You can add carrots and a sprig of parsley. Serve with noodles freshly cooked in boiling salt water separate from the g oulash.

Hungarian Goulash, Traditional Restaurant Style:

Serves 4 2 lbs. beef (chuck or rump) cut in 2” pieces 1 strip bacon 1 tablespoon cooking oil or bacon fat 3 onions, coarsely chopped 1 ½ tablespoons paprika ¾ teaspoons salt 1 green bell pepper, diced

In a large pot, brown me at in oil or bacon fat. Add ½ to ¾ cup of water. Cover and cook over low heat. Chop bacon and fry in skillet; add onions in skillet and brown lightly. Stir in paprika and salt and then combine with simmering meat . Stir in uncooked green peppers and cook slowly for about 2 hours or until meat is tender. Serve with dumplings or noodles. Substitute for ground beef, add an 8 oz. can of tomato sauce and you have pretty good “Sloppy Joe’s”

Great Salad Dishes for Goulash:

Lettuce and Sour Cream Salad: “Austrian Salad”

Serves 6 to 8 Head of lettuce 1 large or 2 medium onions diced very small 2 teaspoon of salt ¼ cup of white vinegar , or wine vinegar (I prefer the white) 2 tablespoons of salad oil (optional) 16 oz. tub of sour cream Hungarian Paprika

Cut and wash lettuce, press out moisture. Sprinkle salt, vinegar and onions while tossing. Let stand about 15 minutes. A few minutes before serving mix in oil and sour cream to coat all of the lettuce. Sprinkle top with paprika.

Cucumbers and Sour Cream

Same as above. Peel 4 cucumbers and slice thin, but, sprinkle with salt only, and let stand 15 minutes. Drain and press out moisture (salt extracts the water in cucumbers). Add vinegar and onions, a few minutes before s erving add salad oil and sour cream, garnish top with paprika. Since cucumbers are watery, amount of sour cream may be cut in half. Some options are mixing in about a tablespoon of poppy seeds or dill and/or garnishing the top with some black pepper and paprika.

Dessert:

Hungarian favorites are poppy seed cakes or strudels with coffee.

HISTORY OF GOULASH

Gulyashus/ Goulash in English: Cattle, sheep and pig rising were the basic industries in Hungary. The herdsmen were called Gulyas. Gulyashus , means herdsmen’s meat, having its origin in the early camps of herdsmen who cooked their meat and vegetables together in kettles over camp fires. Beef, green peppers, onions, paprika and salt were the usual ingredients. There is no one genuine recipe for gulyashus. Finding the “genuine” goulash recipe is as futile as finding the one true recipe for American biscuits or Irish soda bread. Some Hungarians gourmets sauté the paprika with the onions and add tomatoes. Others scorn tomatoes and add paprika af ter the browning is done, insisting that the frying destroys the aroma of the spice. Some add potatoes to the dish, while others exclude them if they’re serving noodles or dumplings. Beef was the preferred meat in Hungry with pork a close second. Bacon wa s the all- important staple of the Hungarian peasant. Bacon grease was always saved and used for their frying and sautéing. Veal (from milk bred calves) was a great delicacy. Goulash was also made with chicken and mutton, but mutton was not popular in village markets and not popular with the well to do. Chicken became a very popular substitute with American immigrants because of the lower cost. Whatever the method or the ingredients, meat , paprika and onions are the basics, which are cooked slowly.

Hungarian cuisine developed with its history. As in America, many peoples have merged. Serbs, Croats, Poles, Slovenes, Russians, Slovaks and Romanians all have contributed to Hungarian cuisine. But with all the foreign influence the most important was the Turks. It was the Turkish conquest in the fifteenth century that introduced paprika. At first, paprika was considered a lowly spice used by the peasants who couldn’t afford more costly imported spices. Gradually paprika spread into the kitchens of the no bility. How, no Hungarian kitchen would be without a supply of native-grown paprika. Rich in vitamin C, Hungarian paprika has a richer flavor than Spanish or American paprika due to the alluvial Hungarian soil.

Royal marriages also caused significant c hanges in the cuisine. Italian Queen Beatrix and French Queen Anne brought a greater delicacy to the cuisine of the Hungarian court. Heavily spiced foods diminished, garlic was introduced, butter was preferred to bacon lard and creams were more widely used. Sour cream is how almost as characteristic as paprika in Hungarian cuisine. Sour Cream neither thins nor curdles in gentle heating and adds a tang and elegance to meat, vegetable or dessert. Hungarian meals labeled “ paprikas” are made with paprika and sour cream.

The Magyars who settled the country a thousand years ago and who adopted much of the culture and religion of the west have set many of the traditions – their distinctive costumes and festive celebrations. Every Holiday calls for its own fe ast, which centers on saint days which commemorate events connected with the growing and harvesting season. Shrove Tuesday, Easter eve and Easter, Pentecost, St. Stephen’s day - August 20 th, St. George day – April 23 rd, St. Mark’s day April 25 th, all Saints day – November 1 st, Vintage Festival – mid October, and Christmas Eve and Christmas all have special holiday meat menus. In the olden days, the modest people frequently served a goulash meal.

The wedding feast was the most lavish. Held at the groom’s father’s house, dancing and feasting would go on until dawn. Weddings of three days duration were by no means unheard of. Frequently, veal paprikas, a goulash and chicken dish were on the menu and at Midnight, a cook’s dance was performed and a collection was taken up for the women who prepared the feast.

For hundreds of years, goulash and paprikas meats have been a stable of Hungarian cuisine.

Goulash is the national dish of Hungry and one of Hungary’s great gifts to the world that gathers friends, family and relatives for a sumptuous meal that’s shared and enjoyed by all. It is a special dish in which the spirit of gathering people is more important than the ingredients and the measurements.

A Goulash Toast

Slovaks drink the brandy, Hungarians drink wine, Germans drink the beer, Irish drink anything So we serve everything, My dear.