Hungarian Letcho Recipes

HUNGARIAN TOMATO-PEPPER STEW (LECSó)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a large skillet, sauté the onion in bacon fat or oil over low heat for 5 minutes.
• Add pepper strips and cook another 15 minutes.
• Add tomatoes, sugar, salt, and paprika, and cook for another 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the mixture resembles chunky tomato sauce.

HUNGARIAN GREEN PEPPER STEW (AKA: LETCHO)

Steps:

• Cut bacon slices into smaller pieces and fry them in the same pot you're going to use for cooking the stew.
• Add and heat oil.
• Add diced onions. Cook onions on medium high heat until caramelized. Stir frequently, don't let them burn.
• As soon as the onions are done, add the peppers.
• Add salt, black pepper, garlic, caraway seeds and paprika.
• Stirring constantly, cook for a couple of minutes.
• Add tomatoes.
• Add a cup of water.
• Cover pot and simmer until peppers are done to your taste, 10-20 minutes.
• Add more salt and black pepper if needed.
• You might also have to add more water during the cooking process or evaporate extra liquid at the end. This depends on how juicy the tomato was and on the way you're going to serve the dish.
• If you like sausages, add about 1 lb. of sliced Polish Sausages or mini-smokes to the browned onions. Do not use uncooked sausages.
• Stir and fry sausages for 5 minutes before adding the peppers. Add less salt to the dish.
• You can thicken the stew with one or two eggs (scramble them first) at the end of the cooking process. Mix well.

HUNGARIAN LETCHO

Steps:

• In a large frying pan, saute the onions& garlic in olive oil, until limp, approx 2 minutes.
• Add sliced sausage& chilli and cook, mixing with onions& garlic for approx 5 minutes.
• Add bell peppers and mix well with onions, garlic& sausages.
• Add salt and pepper, to taste.
• Turn heat down and add Tomatoes.
• Let simmer until the peppers are soft.
• Keep simmering for a further 2 minutes and serve with rice or mashed potatoes.

HUNGARIAN LETCHO

Steps:

• Boil water in medium pot. While you are waiting for the water to boil, remove the skin on the Kielbasa. If it is too thin to peel, then add slit or poke holes on the Kielbasa with a fork to account for expansion in the boiling water. Boil the Kielbasa for about 30 minutes. Slice the peppers and the onion in thin long strains. In a 2 inch deep saute pan add the oil until it is hot. Saute the onions for about 2-3 minutes. Add the peppers and then saute for another 5-7 minutes. Add the diced Tomatoes, salt, pepper and paprika. Allow it to boil on low heat for about 10 minutes. After the Kielbasa is done boiling, dump the water. wait for the Kielbasa to cool down. If you have not already removed the skin prior to boiling, now it is just as great of an opportunity to finish peeling it.. Once the skin is removed, then slice the Keilbasa in to 1/4 inch thick pieces. Once the Letcho has boiled for 10 minutes, add the sausage. Mix it all together and allow it to cook for another 10 minutes on low heat.

HUNGARIAN EGGS WITH TOMATOES, PEPPERS AND ONIONS (LETCHO)

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil and add onion and bell pepper. Sauté until beginning to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Cover and simmer very slowly for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add tomatoes and continue to simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and hot paprika to taste. Add eggs, mixing well. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.