Stuffed Peppers - Hungarian Style

     

        One of my favorite experiences of living around the world has been to meet people from other countries, who love to cook. Yes, it was fun to talk to them of their different cultures, world-views, their families and interests but honestly, I was out for one thing.....their recipes!!  And if they loved to cook, I suspect their motives were the same in getting to know us, either that or they were ordered by their governments to do so!

       But truly we met so many delightful people from all over, some from places where you wouldn't expect them to be delightful but most often at least something from their country's cuisine was delightful to eat!  There was our Turkish friend and her incredible boreka, Italian friend with her Tuscan bean soup and her chicken roulade, our Israeli friend with her matzo ball soup, our Tunisian friend with her tajin malsouka, our Jordanian friend with everything Jordanian and our Hungarian friend with her stuffed peppers!   

       I'm sure we've all sampled stuffed peppers on some occasion in our eating careers, but these have been  my favorite with the high doses of paprika and served over mashed potatoes with a buttery chicken sauce (starch on starch - a winner from the get go).  I learned just this week that a green pepper has more Vitamin C than an orange - so there you go.  A truly delicious, flavorful power meal in one dish! If Reka were here now, I'm sure she'd be pleased that I shared her recipe....but she would expect one of my American ones back as payment!  Only fair.

Hungarian Stuffed Peppers

1 cup white rice                                                                           

6 bell peppers, any color

1 tablespoon oil

1 pound ground beef

1 onion

3 cloves garlic

1 cup diced, canned tomatoes with 1/2 cup juice

1/2 cup minced parsley

3 tablespoons sweet paprika 

          (or some hot paprika if you prefer)

3 cups fluffy mashed potatoes (recipe below)

1 shallot, peeled and finely minced

1/4 cup butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

     -Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Par cook rice by covering with 1 1/2 cups water, bring to boil and cover.  Continue to cook over low heat for 8 minutes.  Drain rice and set aside.

      -Slice the stem end off of each pepper and remove the stems, ribs and seeds.  Fill a baking dish with 1/2 inch of water and place peppers upside down in pan.  Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and remove foil.

       -Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and saute onion, 3 -4 minutes until soft.  Add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper and 1 1/2 tablespoons paprika.  Break down beef and continue to cook with onion until beef is cooked through and browned.  Add garlic and continue to cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and drain off fat.  Return skillet to heat and stir in tomatoes and juice, par-cooked rice, 1/4 cup parsley and check for salt and pepper.  Heat through for 1 minute as you combine the ingredients.

       -Turn oven down to 350 degrees.  Place the peppers upright in the baking dish and sprinkle inside of peppers lightly with salt and pepper.  Fill each pepper with beef filling to within about 1/2 inch of top pressing lightly.  Cover with foil and continue to bake 30 minutes.  Remove foil and cook another 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and cover again with foil to keep warm.  Set aside.

       -While peppers are cooking, prepare sauce by melting butter in a medium saucepan.  Add shallot and saute about 5 minutes, over medium heat, until shallots are soft.  Stir in flour and cook over medium-high heat for a minute or two.  Slowly whisk in the 2 cups of chicken stock and cook over medium heat until sauce comes to a boil and thickens.  Stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons paprika, lemon juice and taste for salt and pepper.  Add the rest of the parsley.

       -To serve, spread hot mashed potatoes over the bottom of a serving platter that has curved edges.  Nestle the stuffed peppers in among the potatoes and then drizzle with the sauce.  Serve extra sauce alongside in a gravy boat.  Serve warm.

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Fluffy Mashed Potatoes

6 potatoes (Yukon gold or russet)

1 cup milk, half and half, cream or buttermilk (depending on taste and calorie count desired)

1/2 cup butter

Salt and pepper to taste

     -Peel the potatoes and cut into quarters.  (For very large potatoes,

       cut into 6 pieces.)

     -Place in a large pot. Cover the potatoes with warm water.  Add 1

       tablespoon salt.  Cover the pot with a lid and bring the water to a

       boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium low.

     -Simmer until potatoes are tender - about 30 minutes.  Insert a fork 

       into a potato to test doneness.  The fork should meet no resistance.

       Give the potatoes more time to cook if they aren't done.  Once 

       potatoes are done, remove from heat and drain immediately.

     -Return the potatoes to the pot and heat over medium-high heat for

       about a minute to cook off any excess water.  This will ensure that

       your mash won't be too watery.  Stir gently until until potatoes are

       dry, and edges look white and flaky.  Remove from heat.

     -Meanwhile, heat the butter and cream (milk, half & half, etc) in a

       small saucepan at a low temp.  Mash the potatoes with a potato

       masher or potato ricer and ensure that all lumps are broken up

       and the potatoes are completely broken apart.  Drizzle half of the

       hot butter mixture and stir in gently.  Add the remaining butter

       mixture and whip with a wooden spoon or whisk vigorously just 

       until the mash is smooth and fluffy. Be careful not to overbeat as

       potatoes may become gluey.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

       (If potatoes are too thick, add a bit more milk.)

      -Serve warm with extra butter on top and sprinkled with chopped

       parsley and/or paprika. (Other herbs and spices can be added 

       while whipping, such as chopped chives, Parmesan cheese, 

       crumbled bacon, roasted garlic, chopped scallions or creamed 

       leeks, shredded cheese or whatever sounds delicious to 

       you!)