Hungarian Christmas Eve dinner

Last year, catapulted into Tier 4 and confined to London for Christmas, we had to fend for ourselves for the first time ever on Christmas Eve. Granny came to the rescue with this guest blog post, now recorded for posterity so that you will be able to carry on a vital family tradition. Baby Jesus,Continue reading “Hungarian Christmas Eve dinner”

Pörkölt

The Hungarian word pörkölt simply means ‘roasted’ but it has evolved to refer to a meat stew, which in most parts of Hungary is made with beef or pork, with or without the addition of vegetables. Our family version, consisting of pork and mushrooms, is very much my own invention but nonetheless redolent of Hungary.Continue reading “Pörkölt”

Stuffed eggs

Today’s recipe, a memorable component of our summer picnic lunches in Hungary, is introduced by a guest contribution from your father, king of the holiday morning routine. He has thrown in as many original Hungarian words as he can muster – presumably in a bid to convince the Consulate that he knows enough of theContinue reading “Stuffed eggs”

Bográcsgulyás

As we limp into our second month of Lockdown, communal outdoor cooking has become the stuff of nostalgia, but you can re-create this (albeit without the smoky flavour) over your kitchen stove and in the oven. Goulash is really a soup: what non-Hungarians call a goulash is actually a braise, comprising just beef and potatoes.Continue reading “Bográcsgulyás”

Hungarian Spinach

Babú’s standard birthday meal is Hungarian spinach (spenótfőzelék) and pork meatballs (fasírt). I haven’t ever been particularly keen on the latter, which can be quite heavy, but the spinach part has evolved into one of our staples, eaten with roast chicken or baked potatoes or lamb kofta. I’m not claiming my version is authentic butContinue reading “Hungarian Spinach”