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.