Tips on Hungarian cuisine – Part 2.

Fat

Hungarian specialties are traditionally prepared with pork drippings, which give many dishes their typical flavor, or butter. More recently, the former is gradually disappearing from the kitchen and in its place sunflower oil, or margarine for baking, are more likely to be used.

If using margarine instead of butter, the quantity specified in the recipe should be increased by 10% if using reduced fat margarine.

Mixed salad

Recipe (serves 10): Cook 12 oz/350 g carrots and 7 oz/200 g parsnip in boiling, salted water, then drain and dice finely. Boil 12 oz/350 g potatoes, skin them and dice them. Peel and dice 7 oz/200 g apples. Dice 5 oz/150 g pickled cucumbers. The dice should all be the same size. Cook 3/4 cup (100 g) peas in boiling, salted water. Leave all the ingredients to cool, then combine them with 1 1/4 cups/300 ml seasoned mayonnaise. Refrigerate the salad for a few hours so the flavors can blend. If this salad is being prepared for cold platters, use a little less mayonnaise so the salad will be a little firmer.

Roasting a goose liver

Basic recipe: Rinse the goose liver and soak it in ice-cold milk for at least 1 hour. Drain it well and pat it dry carefully. Soalc a generous 1 lb/550 g of goose fat thoroughly, and cut it into even-sized pieces. Put the goose fat in a saucepan and add a splash of water, then sauté it until the rat runs. Strain the fat into another pan and heat it up again, then carefully place the goose liver in the hot fat. Sauté briefly, until it takes on an attractive golden-brown color, then turn the liver carefully. Add sufficient water to not quite cover the liver. If desired, you can also add 1-2 cloves of garlic and half a small onion. Cover and braise over a low heat until the liquid has completely evaporated. Carefully remove the cooked liver and place it on a deep dish. Season it sparingly with salt. Strain the fat over the liver, and stir a little medium hot paprika into the fat. Put the goose liver in the refrigerator.

Hungarian cuisine

Variation: Rinse 1 goose liver and soak it in ice-cold milk for at least 1 hour. Then drain well and carefully pat it dry. Divide the goose fac in half and line a saucepan with half of the taw goose fat. Place the liver in the pan and add enough meat stock to cover the liver. Add garlic or onion to taste, and cover with the remaining fat. Cover the pan and braise for 30—40 minutes (to check if the liver is cooked, pierce it with a meat skewer; the liver is cooked if no meat adheres to the skewer when it is removed). Place the liver on a serving dish and sprinkle sparingly with salt. Bring the remaining cooking liquid to a boil and simmer on a high heat until reduced, then leave it to cool for a few minutes. Stir ground paprika into the reduced liquid, and pour it over the liver. Refrigerate the liver.

Hungarian cuisine