Who has not heard of Count Dracula’s Haunted Castle even though been there or not. Whether visited found out that the Transylvanian Bran Castle was never home to a vampire, it’s still blood-curdling. Dracula is a purely fictional creation. Bram Stoker’s character was inspired by Count Vlad the Impaler, who was known for his bloodthirstiness. The air inside the castle and environment is spooky anyway.
Talking about gastronomy, it can be said those who like Hungarian cuisine also like Székely Land – Transylvanian flavors through Turkish cuisine. Many dishes are similar in preparation and taste.
Transylvania Cottage Cheese Pasta – Eedélyi Túróstészta
Recommended after more hearty soups, excellent for lunch or dinner. From the age of 8 months, it can also be given to babies with cow’s curd, the dough should be egg-free.
Ingredients: 1/2 kg sheep’s curd or other salted curd, 20 dkg ham / meat bacon (optional), 20 dkg grated cheese (optional), 1 packet, laska (pasta), 2 tbs oil.
Cooking: cook the salmon in salted water, strain the ham / bacon in a little oil, take it out of a bowl, put the salmon in the fat, sprinkle with cottage cheese and half of the ham, mix well, put in a fireproof dish, sprinkle the top with the grated cheese and grated cheese put bacon in the oven until the cheese is melted on top.
Transylvanian cabbage – Erdélyi Töltöttkáposta
Recipe for 6 people, overall time 2hs over medium heat. Made from real sauerkraut, but also very delicious sweet cabbage. If made from the latter, the cabbage head is boiled, then the leaves are taken apart and left in hot water for about half an hour. Once the fillings are cooked, pour in half a liter of tomato juice.
Ingredients: 1-2 heads of cabbage, 1 kg of minced pork (thigh) but also delicious with minced turkey meat, 2-3 slices of smoked bacon (optional if the meat is fatty), 1 small piece of smoked side, bacon skin or knuckle (optional, but real), 2- 3 heads onion, 4 tbs rice dill, cluster, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper 2 tbs oil, 3-4 dl water.
Cooking: Prepare the cabbage leaves, if too sour, soak in water for 1 hour, if hard, boil the leaves thick, cut out the middle vein, if the leaf is large, cut it in half for the filling … simmer the chopped onion in oil, sprinkle with rice, stirring constantly we braise the meat with the bacon for a few minutes, we add the cabbage stuffed with onion rice, sprinkle with fresh, chopped dill, 1 tbs grated, 1 tbs pepper, salt and pepper, we work well together by hand.
To make small fillings …put a certain amount of filling (approx. 1 spoon) on the leaf, we fold it up, we fold it from the side, we fold the unfolded end in the pot as follows: it is lined with cabbage leaves and bacon skin from below, we place it in a clump and dill stalks the stuffing, we put the smoked side or knuckle in the middle half, then we put the other stuffing on it, if there are left dill and clods left, we put the remaining cabbage chopped on top, we can cover it with whole cabbage leaves also cook on low heat for 3-4 hs at the end. Serve with 1-2 tsp of sour cream on top and enjoy the majestic taste, but it is a matter of taste.
Became Real Hungarian Treat – Chimney Cake … Kürtős Kalács
Foreigners a.k.a. Chimney Cake – for it’s chimney-like appearance!
Strangely enough there is no mention of this Chimney Cake amongst Hungarian dishes.
Kitchen tools needed: small saucepan, big bowl, Stand mixer with dough hook attachment, 1 or 2 paper kitchen towel cardboard tubes, tin foil, cling film, oven + baking tray.
Recipe for 6 people, overall time: 75 mins, baking time: 20 mins. Ingredients: 500 gr plain flour, 200 ml full fat milk, 5 tbs vegetable oil or sunflower oil, 3 tbs regular sugar, 2 tbs yeast (14 gr), 2 eggs, Pinch of salt. Baking time: 15 mins + resting time: warm up the milk in the small saucepan over medium-low heat. Mix the warm milk, sugar and yeast into the big bowl and give it a good stir. Set aside for 5 mins or until a thick bubbly foam has formed on top of the milk. Mix flour and salt in the stand mixer’s bowl. Make a hole in the center and pour into the vegetable oil, two eggs and the milk mixture. To mix using the medium setting for about 5 to 10 mins, depending on the stand mixer. With stand mixer only 5 mins. The chimney cake dough is ready when the dough has become a solid mass, and does not stick to the hands. Not to add in extra flour if sticky, add in a few more drops of vegetable oil instead. Cover with cling film and set aside to be for rest 1h, it will double in double size. In between time to create the holders. Keeping this as simple as possible by using one or two paper towel tubes. Wrap them tightly in tin foil, fold the remaining tin foil inwards. Test it on the baking tray to see if it fits aligns, and stays put. Wrap the dough over these holders. Since these chimney cakes need to be heated all the way around and inside, these make-shift holders will do perfectly fine. After the Kürtös Kalács dough has doubled in size, place it on a clean working surface. Knead the dough until smooth, then divide into six portions. Roll each portion along into a long string and roll it around the prepared holder. The thicker these strings are, the more soft they will be eventually. The oven has to be pre-heated to temperature of 200 C, or 392 F. Placing each holder on the edges of the baking tray, and bake them for about 10 to 15 mins and once in a while turn it around the other side, so that the crust color will be browned.
After it is baked may sprinkle it around with different flavors. With what to cover with is a matter of taste … grain walnuts, coconut, sugar, cinnamon, grain poppy seed and cocoa powder, but any other ingredients will do that your heart desires. Also can be filled with pudding, ice-cream and so forth. When done baking, it’s best to eat the chimney cakes immediately while it is hot. Keeping them only for two days, when wrapped in cling film.
© Aggie Reiter
Rolling in Budapest 