Month: September 2025

Sliced venison with mushrooms, Hungarian Bakony style.

This is anothe recipe from ‘The cuisine of Hungary’. The recipes so far have been striaghtforward and the results, very tasty. The original recipe asks for 450g wild mushrooms, which is a big ask, so I used 40g mixed dried wild mushrooms and a small punnet of chestnut mushrooms. I served this with rice, as suggested in the original recipe. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 600g venison
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 30g plain flour
  • 30g lard
  • 2 small onions, finley chopped
  • 1 tbsp hot paprika
  • 120ml stock
  • 40g dried mushrooms
  • 50g fresh mushrooms
  • 3 tbsp sour cream

METHOD:

  • Soak the dried mushrooms in cold water for 30 minutes. 
  • Cut the meat into 2cm thick slices. Lay them flat, sprinkle with salt and then dredge them with flour on each side. 
  • Melt the lard in a frying pan, and fast-fry the venison on both sides, then put the meat into the bottom of a large casserole dish. 
  • Fry the onions in the same pan until golden in colour, then add 1 tbsp cold water and the paprika. Doing this stops the paprika from scorching. Cover the pan and cook until the liquid has evaporated. 
  • Slice the soaked mushrooms and add to the meat, followed by the onion mixture, along with a little stock. Cover tightly and simmer over a low heat until the meat is half-cooked. 
  • Slice the fresh mushrooms, and fry them in the same frying panfor a minute, before adding to the casserole once the meat is half-cooked. Cook for another thirty minutes. Keep checking on the casserole and add a little stock to keep it from becoming dry. 
  • Mix 1 tbsp flour with the sour cream, and stir into the casserole. Bring the stew back to the simmer and serve with rice. 

Hungarian style venison cutlets

This is another dish from George Lang’s book. The Cuisine of Hungary. My daughers loved it because of the green peppers. I have adapted slightly, as the original recipe did not suggest skinning the tomatoes, and I regretted not doing it. I served this with plain rice. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 600g venison, for example boned leg, sliced into cutlets and pounded to make them flat
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp lard
  • 1 large onion, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
  • 2 tsp hot paprika
  • 2 medium tomatoes, skinned and sliced
  • 800g large potatoes, peeled and cut into long segments.
  • 3 green peppers, sliced

METHOD: 

  • Prepare the cutlets, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fry them in 1 tbsp lard and put them into the bottom of a large pan.
  • In a frying pan, melt the rest of the lard, and fry the diced onion until it starts to brown. 
  • Add the caraway seeds, and then a minute later add about 100ml cold water, stir and add the paprika. Cover the pan and cook for a couple of minutes.
  • Pour the onion mixture over the meat, as well as a little water, and cook over a low heat. Check every five to ten minutes, topping up with a little water if required.
  • Once the meat is almost done, add the tomatoes, peppers and tomatoes. The cooking time will depend on the meat, but if you gave it a good bashing, then it won’t take too long. 
  • Continue to cook for another half an hour or so, so that the potatoes are done. Adjust the seasoning before serving. 

Hungarian lamb and spinach stew ‘Banat style’

I have been trying out some traditional Hungarian recipes, using a book called Cuisine of Hungary by George Lang. It includes a history of Hungary, it’s regions and culinary styles. The recipes I have tried so far are very straight-forward with ingredients that are readily available locally. 

Banat is a germanic region in central Europe, including the south of Hungary, Romania and Bosnia. One of the features of this area is the use of cream cheeses, and more lamb than in other regions. This recipe benefits from using local lamb with lots of flavour.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 kilo of lamb for stew. I used lamb chops because that was what was available. 
  • seasoned flour
  • 100g lard
  • 1 large onion, peeled and sliced
  • 1 tsp hot paprika
  • 1/2 tsp salt 
  • 600g spinach
  • 50g ricotta
  • 100ml sour cream
  • Optional: a pinch of tarragon

METHOD:

  • Coat the meat in the seasoned flour, and then fry it in hot lard until it is seared, and then remove to a plate. 
  • In the same fat, fry the sliced onion until it starts to colour
  • Scoop the onion into the bottom of a casserole dish, and mix in paprika and salt to taste
  • On top of the onion, add the meat and then the spinach, and then around 150ml water or lamb stock. Bring to a simmer and cook at a low heat for around an hour. Check every 10 minutes or so and add a little water if required. Only add small amounts of water each time. 
  • Once the meat is cooked, stir in the ricotta and sour cream, and any herbs. Simmer for a few minutes.
  • Serve with rice. I also added a side dish of carrot salad.