We got ourselves a completely new commission this month, babysitting our grandson in Budapest, all expenses paid. It was an offer impossible to refuse, especially as we’d never been to Hungary before
It’s been a new experience, exploring an unknown city with a four-year-old who does find the city remarkable, but is far more excited by the trams, chasing pigeons and playgrounds. Fortunately our apartment sits on a square with a playground in front, a great bakery just up the road and a corner shop, which makes it the perfect location.
We’re staying in district VIII, which is a little run down. Behind the grand boulevards there are beautiful old buildings – ‘huge’ as the four old year notes – with crumbling facades, amazing architecture and trees bursting into leaf and flower. At first it brought to mind Berlin with a touch of Havana, but it’s a city of plenty, so it’s only the crumbling facades that have anything in common with Cuba, and I think that’s particular to the area where we are staying. According to the playground gossip Victor Orban wasn’t very interested in this district. It’s a lively neighbourhood where the people live and there are many independent and funky shops. Downtown is a lot smarter.
On the food front it’s very meaty, hardly surprising, as Hungary is landlocked – surrounded by seven other countries. The local menus aren’t very appealing or suitable for vegetarians but there are plenty of other choices – Italian, Turkish, Vietnamese, Japanese, Lebanese…. And there are also ‘langos’.
I’d read about langos, which are a local speciality and, as they are vegetarian, I was keen to try some. I thought they would be available everywhere but they took a little tracking down. The langos shop we found was a one person operation with a fridge full of dough balls, an extra-wide deep fat fryer and a selection of optional toppings. We went for the classic langos; brushed with garlic paste followed by a generous smear of sour cream and lashings of grated cheese. They are ‘huge’ and quite the vampire deterrent – the garlic is full on.
I had hoped it would be the recipe I would share. I quizzed the young woman who prepared ours and she said they were very simple and could even be prepared at home. All that is needed is the dough, garlic paste, sour cream and grated cheese plus oil to fry them in. The ‘at home’ version requires a deep frying pan with a decent depth of oil. You heat the oil, flatten a portion of dough in your hands, then dip it in the hot oil before stretching it like a pizza. When it’s about 30cm in diameter you need to ‘frisbee it into the oil, jumping back at the same time’ to avoid any splashes. Cook it until it puffs up and is golden on each side before dressing as aforementioned. They really are mighty. We shared one – for breakfast – and couldn’t quite finish it. To tell the truth, it didn’t leave a feel good feeling, landing in a doughy greasy lump in our stomachs. Definitely not a healthy food. They are probably great for drinking and soakage purposes but not so good for breakfast.
This blew my recipe idea for this month although you have enough information above to give it a go. Instead we have emergency corner shop soup made with a can of lentils and the few veg the shop sold. I added some paprika – which is sold everywhere, to give it a goulash air, which is of course the Hungarian national dish.
It’s simple and delicious and, as we’re all waiting for the new season produce to grow, it will fill the ‘hungry gap’.
Emergency
Lentil Soup
Ingredients:
• 1 can lentils
• 1 onion
• 100mls olive oil
• 1-2 carrots
• 1 potato
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1 bay leaf (found in the cupboard)
• Half can tomatoes or left over pasta sauce
• 1 heaped tsp paprika
• 700mls water
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• Salt and pepper
Method: Peel and chop the onion. Heat a pan, add the olive oil and onion.
Peel and dice the carrot and add to the pan.
Peel and dice the potato and add to the pan.
Season the vegetables with a little salt and add the bay leaf. Cook everything together for about ten minutes, string regularly so that they don’t stick. This gentle cooking ensures the onions and carrots sweeten and opens up their flavour.
Add the lentils, tomatoes or sauce, paprika and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil then simmer for fifteen minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Check the seasoning, add more salt if needed and a little cracked black pepper. If it’s too thick, thin with a little water or vegetable stock and you are ready to go. Of course if you have any fresh parsley at hand you could serve it chopped and sprinkled on top. Very tasty!
Looking forwards to a sunny May!
