Eastern Europe-Austria and Hungary

We don't travel to see the world very much, but through my cooking, my family goes well.  I am keen to learn and to taste all the new dishes, a different type of cuisine.  And here recipes from the Eastern Europe that I love.  We visited Vienna and lately in Hungary, and I have had fond memories to share.

Czechoslovakia
Cuisine from Eastern Europa, you know by now that I love to cook dishes from all over the world, and this time the dish from the Czech Republic - Knedliky is potato dumpling that I would like very much to cook and to try.
I found the recipe from somewhere, and I believe it is going to work.  Have I tried to cook the Knedliky?   Yes,  I had.   But I am not too sure about the result, I think it needs improvement on my part.

Knedliky (Potato Dumpling)

Ingredients
900 g boiled potato
30 g semolina
A pinch of salt
1-2 eggs
1/2 pound wholemeal flour
Method

1. Peel cooked boiled potatoes and let them cool, then put them through a potato presser.
2. Put on a floured pastry board and sprinkle the flour, semolina and salt over the top.
3. Make a hollow in the centre and break the eggs into it; using first a knife and then the hands, combine the ingredients to make a smooth dough.
4. Knead a little, but do not allow it to stand for long
5. Form into four longish rolls (large fat sausage)
6. Put into a large pan of boiling salted water, when the water comes back to the boil, take off the saucepan lid and if necessary ease the dumplings with a wooden spoon to free them from the bottom of the pan so that they are floating freely.
7. Cover the pan again and boil for about 15-20 minutes, until the dumpling cooked throughout.
8. Remove from the water, draining well and slice, using a strong linen thread, not a knife.
9. Put on a hot dish and brush over with melted lard to prevent them from sticking.
10. Serve with meat dishes.

Cooking the Knedliky (Potato Dumplings)in my kitchen based on the recipe above.

Potato Ricer  or Potato Presser

Pressing the potato to make
a smooth mashe

Boiling the Potatoes
About 450g to make half of
the recipe

Cut the mixture into two.

Mixing the mashed potato, semolina
wholemeal flour, egg, and salt

Two smooth oval potato mixtures

Boiling the potato mixture to make
the dumplings

Placing the cooked dumpling on a plate
with melted butter to prevent sticking.

Sliced Dumpings with Melted Butter

It's easy enough to make the Knedilky because I have not tried the food, I did not know how to expect.  However, the taste was yummy, but it could be firmer.  Adding a little flour maybe a good idea.  Love the dumplings to serve with the Hungarian Gulyas or simply any stews or any meat dishes which is served with a sauce.



Austria
Wiener Schnitzel is a very thin, breaded and pan-fried cutlet made from veal.  It is one of the best-known specialities of Viennese cuisine.  The Wiener Schnitzel is one of the national dishes of Austria. (Wikipedia)

In my kitchen, I cook chicken schnitzel for my family.   Using chicken fillet instead of Veal meat as we love chicken breast fillet.  The preparation and the cooking are technically the same or similar to the Wiener Schnitzel  One day though I will cook the traditional Austrian dish the Viene schnitzel.

Preparation and Cooking chicken Schnitzel

Ingredients to a crumb for the Schnitzel are plain flour, eggs, breadcrumb mixed with cheese, herbs.

Rub the meat fillet with salt and ground pepper, roll in the flour, dip in the meat onto the egg mixture and roll it in the breadcrumb mix.

Cook the crumbed chicken on a medium hot oil for a few minutes on each side or until cooked through and golden brown.

How to cook Wiener Schnitzel is similar to the breaded/crumbed and pan-fried chicken fillet as you see above, but using thin veal meat.

Wiener Schnitzel is a very thin, breaded and pan-fried cutlet made from veal.  It is one of the best-known specialities of Viennese cuisine.  The Wiener Schnitzel is one of the national dishes of Austria. (Wikipedia)

We visited Vienna and what a fantastic place.  It was a lovely visit in 2015.
During the day we walked a lot and enjoyed the beautiful parks with lots pretty benches, we saw people enjoyed the fresh air, music and dancing took place within the relaxed atmosphere. The majestic building of the townhouse looked so amazing at night time. Visited  Schönbrunn palace, tasting the Sachertorte, was it similar that I baked at home? Very curious.  To fill up the night, once we went to a concert Wiener MOZART Konzerte with Wiener Mozart Orchester at the Musikverein. It was held at the Brahms Zaal,  a treat for people who love classical music, it was beautifully performed; indeed, I appreciated it very much,  for Rayner it's in his element.

 Rayner had a grand time, he thought he would like to come back to see Vienna again.  It is good to be optimistic.



Hungary
Gulyás
In Hungarian cuisine, traditional "Gulyásleves" (literally "goulash soup"), "bográcsgulyás", pörkötlt, and paprikás were thick stews made by cattle herders and stockmen.  Garlic, Caraway seed, bell pepper, and wine are optional.  These dishes can be made in soups rather than stews.  Excepting paprikás, the Hungarian stews do not rely on a flour or roux for thickening.  Tomato is a modern addition, totally unknown in the original recipe and in the whole Central European food culture until the first half of the twentieth century.

Goulash can be prepared from beef, veal, pork, or lamb.  Typical cuts include the shank, shin, or shoulder; as a result, goulash derives its thickness from tough,well-exercised muscles rich in collagen which converted to gelatin during the cooking process.  Meat is cut into chunks, seasoned with salt, and the goulash is left to simmer.  After cooking a while, garlic, whole or ground caraway seed, or soup vegetables like carrot, parsley root, peppers (green or bell pepper) and celery may be added.  Other herbs and spices could also be added, especially chilli pepper, bay leaf and thyme. Diced potato may be added since they provide starch as they cook, which makes the goulash thicker and smoother.  However, chilli peppers and potatoes are modern additions, totally unknown in the original recipe.  A small amount of white wine or wine vinegar also be added near the end of cooking to round the taste  Goulash may be served with small egg noodles called csipetke.  The name Csipetke comes from pinching little, fingernail-sized bits out of the dough (scipet=pinch) before adding them to the boiling soup. (Wikipedia)

Goulash: sometimes called gulyas is a kind of beef stew made with diced onions and seasoned with Hungarian paprika.  Several types of Goulash are made in Hungary.
Goulash soup (Hungarian broth).  Goulasch Potage
Dice coarsely 350 g beef sirloin, trimmed and with all fat removed.  Brown in butter in a casserole with 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion.  Season with salt and large pinch paprika.  Add a little cumin and a small crushed clove of garlic.
When the meat is well browned all over, sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour over it.  Mix and let it cook for 1 to two minutes, but without allowing it to brown.  Add 1and 1/2 litres consomme. Bring to the boil and cook slowly for about 3 hours.
An hour before serving, add to the broth 2 diced potatoes.
Serve with bread croutons fried in butter. (New Larousse Gastronomique)

Goulash Soup 
Based on Claudia Roden-The Book Of Jewish Food (one my cooking books)
Jew adopted this meat and paprika soup from the Austro-Hungarian world and turned it into a stew, but my favourite version is the original light soup Hungarian one with frills.  It is most appetising.  In Hungary, there are various types of paprika, from mild and sweet to very hot.  The kind we find in Britain is mild.  You may add a pinch of chilli powder if you like it hot.  I prefer not to.  Use meat that provides good meat jelly, such as blade or neck.

1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons light vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
600 g beef (blade or beef cheek), cut into 2 cm cubes
Salt
1 kg potato
2 tomato peel and cubes
a good pinch of cayenne or red chilli powder (optional)

Fry the onion in the oil until golden.  Then stir in the paprika, and add the meat.  Sprinkle with salt and saute for a few minutes, turning the meat over.  Then add a little water and braise with the lid on for one hour and a half.  Add the potato and tomatoes and enough water to make a soup rather than a stew. - Altogether, with the water at the start, about 2 litres.  Simmer gently for one hour or longer.  The meat should be incredibly tender.  Add a little cayenne or red chilli powder if you like.


We visited Budapest and had the Goulash, and it looked good, it reminds me of meat stew, the meat was so prominent coated with thick sauce, it was delicious.  I cooked goulash, but the way I cut the meat was in strips instead of diced and served with sour cream.

Goulash in Budapest
Served with Potato without sour cream

Rayner had Goulash soup, and he loved it, I have not tried to cook it yet, one day I must, in the wintertime, would be the best to do it.
In the large Market - Great Market Hall in Budapest we bought saffron, but I was not too sure as the price is so cheap, a small bag was one dollar.  Used this saffron for my cooking and it does not taste the same as the saffron that I got while we visited Spain.  Indeed the Budapest saffron gives the lovely golden yellow though, that part is not a disappointment.

The famous cabbage Rolls we tasted was far too salty, I cook the cabbage rolls often, but I am

Cabbage Roll in the Market Hall
Budapest

not too sure it based on what cooking-it could be Greek's.
My cabbage roll is delicate and delicious, braised in a very slow pot for a long time or baked in a casserole dish in low heat, the cabbage would be very soft, tender wrapping the filling beautifully, and full of flavours. Simply delicious.

Cabbage Rolls Before the Baking
In My Kitchen

The note:
Boil the cabbage leaves
Discard the hard middle part
Use the large cabbage leaf for easy wrapping
Use a wooden pick or cotton string to tie
The filling and flavour as you like it
- meat, rice, -garlic, onion, saffron, tomato paste, chilli, salt
Place all the cabbage roll on a cooking dish, add a stock
Add extra tomato or red capsicum, salt and drizzle some oil
Bake or braised on low heat for one hour or more.


Recipes of Goulas to share with you.  Enjoy and happy cooking.


The time in Budapest, 2017

Eva Our Private Guide

A day with our private guide Eva, we explored both cities, Buda and Pest.
She's very knowledgeable, kind and friendly.  We had a whole day with her, which enable us to get to know Two Both Cities the Buda and Pest better.  The following days we felt at ease to go to places.  It was an excellent start to get to know Budapest.  Thanks to Eva.


Day and Night
It was a hot day when we were walking across on the Chain Bridge. The Chain Bridge was the first permanent stone-bridge connecting Buda and Pest. .I was pleased that we did it. A  day cruise on the Danube to Margaret Island was exciting, visited the Parlement House, the inside is decorated with precious gold, and opulent colours.  Amazing!  Market Hall is the biggest market in Budapest and tried local cooking, tasted the dishes.  Hectic it was and used the day in full.
The night, attended the Folk-Lore Concert, Dinner Cruise and Enjoyed the City's lighted up magnificently.  Bright and Beautiful of the Parlement House seen gloriously while we were cruising. And of course we did a lot more, it was a great visit and unforgettable experience.

Photos and pothos, how many we took,  far too many, more pictures of other places to share maybe next time.


Try the Knedliky recipe, keep the dumpling in the refrigerator if you got a leftover, and serve it on the following day.  The Goulas freezes well too, you could invest your time in the whole day cooking. Have fun!




More Post
Susy