Lecsó
Hungary's pepper, tomato and onion stew, sweet and slightly smoky from sweet paprika, just enough fat to make it glossy. The summer dish - eaten on bread, over rice, with eggs broken in at the end, or alongside meat or fish. The first thing Hungarian cooks make when peppers come into season.
Overview
Onion is softened in oil; sweet paprika blooms off the heat (don't burn it). Strips of yellow pepper go in next to soften. Tomatoes follow; the lot stews until the peppers are silky and the sauce has reduced to a thick, jammy compote. Often finished with eggs or an egg yolk for richness.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons sunflower oil (or 50 g unsalted butter)
- 2 onions (large, sliced)
- 1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika
- ½ teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika (optional)
- 6 yellow bell peppers (large, deseeded and sliced 1 cm thick)
- 4 ripe tomatoes (large, chopped) or 1 x 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- salt
- pepper
- 2-4 eggs (large, optional, to finish)
Method
Stage 1 - Onions
- Heat the oil in a heavy wide pan over medium-low heat.
- Cook the onions 10 minutes until soft and just turning golden.
Stage 2 - Paprika
- Pull the pan off the heat (paprika burns instantly on direct heat).
- Stir in the paprika and hot paprika; the mixture will turn bright orange.
- Return to medium heat.
Stage 3 - Peppers
- Add the peppers; toss to coat.
- Cook 5-6 minutes, stirring, until they start to soften.
Stage 4 - Tomatoes
- Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt and black pepper.
- Reduce the heat; simmer uncovered 15-20 minutes until the peppers are silky and the sauce has thickened to a glossy, jammy stew. The peppers should fold easily but still hold shape.
Stage 5 - Eggs (optional)
- Make wells in the lecsó; crack the eggs into them.
- Cover and cook 4-5 minutes until the whites are set and the yolks still soft.
Notes
- Hungarian paprika is the dish: Mild Spanish paprika gives the wrong flavour; smoked is wrong too. Track down sweet Hungarian (édes) and hot (csípős) for the proper taste.
- Burnt paprika is bitter: Always pull the pan off the heat before adding it. This is the most common lecsó mistake.
- Yellow peppers: Hungarian "tv paprika" or fehérpaprika is the traditional choice. Yellow bell peppers are fine; red works but tastes sharper.
Storage
- Keeps 4 days refrigerated; the flavour deepens. Eat eggs the day they're added.
- Freezes 2 months without eggs.
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