Country cake of Hungary 2011

In 2011, special confectionary masterpieces competed for the fifth consecutive year to be presented for the celebration of statehood on August 20th. Based on the decision of the Jury of the Hungarian Confectionery Artisans' National Industry Body, the winning confectioner was again master confectioner László Zila who came up this time with the apricot millet cake of Kecskemét.

As the pastry chef said, the idea of ​​using this fruit was inspired by a letter from a housewife in Karcag, eastern Hungary. She wrote her feelings were hurt by the fact that the Pánd cherries and Szabolcs county plums were already featured in the cake, while the Kecskemét apricot has fallen behind in this series. The millet cake was designed by modifying the basic recipe found in the letter.

The basis of the cake, made, of course, with the patented Zila cake pan, is millet cooked soft in flavored milk. Whipped cream mixed with cooked millet is also put on top of the cake whose cavity is filled with slightly cooked and blended apricot pulp. A little chocolate plate half a peach is placed on the top.

Körözöttes szendvics

The general "körözött" is made of traditional sheep's cheese and curd cheese mixture, but  you can use whatever cheese and even cream cheese! The following recipe for the traditional version.

Ingredients

     20 ounces cottage cheese
     5 ounces butter
     1 tsp red pepper
     1 tsp cumin seeds
     1 onion
     Salt and pepper

Preparation

Chop the onion very small pieces. Mix the butter with a mini hand-held whisk, whip and mix the cottage cheese. Add the spices and mix. You can eat it straight, but it would be more pleasant to keep it for a few hours in the fridge to rest!

Pogácsa - Hungarian pork crackling scones

Pogacsa is very popular in Hungary and Eastern Euope, best served with goulash soup or eaten as a snack.
Its history goes back as far as the Conquest of Hungary, when it was "in the ash cake".
Ingredients
1 package (8 grams) of active dry yeast
1/4 cup (60 ml) warm milk
8 tablespoons (113 grams) of unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs, plus 1 egg, beaten and mixed with 50 ml of cold water for glaze
1/2 cup (120 ml) sour cream
8 bacon slices, fried and finely cut into small bits or 20 oz (250 grams) of pork cracklings
4 – 4 1/2 cups (500 grams) all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Directions
To prepair it you can use your hands to knead the dough.
Dissolve the yeast in ¼ cup of warm milk and let it stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Combine the melted butter, eggs, sour cream, and bits of bacon or pork cracklings. Knead until incorporated.
In a separate large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture into the yeast mixture 1 cup at a time while mixing on low speed. Continue kneading the dough until smooth and elastic about 5 -7 minutes. If dough is too sticky, add more flour.
Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a large bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let the dough rise until it doubles in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
Place dough onto a clean floured work surface and punch down. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a standard baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough until it is 3-inches thick. Cut into rounds using a cookie cutter and make a criss-cross pattern on top with a sharp knife. Let the scones rest for 30 minutes.
Brush the tops of the scones with the egg mixture.
Bake for approximately 25 minutes until golden brown on top.

Lángos

Lángos is a hungarian speciality, during summertime almost so populare as just like hake, a deep fried flat bread made of a dough with flour, yeast, salt and water.

Traditionally lángos was baked in the front of the brick oven, close to the flames. It was made from bread dough and was served as breakfast on the days when new bread was baked. Now that people no longer have brick ovens and do not bake bread at home, lángos is virtually always fried in oil.

The word láng itself means in hungarian language flame, as panis focacius ( focaccia nowadays?) was already used also in the ancient Rome for flatbread baked in the ashes of the fireplace.

It is eaten fresh and warm, topped with sour cream and grated cheese.

Ingredients.........for 4 persons....

• 1 large potato, boiled, peeled, mashed and kept warm
• 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast (not rapid rise)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 cloves garlic, cut in half

Preparation:

1. Place the ingredients in the order given, except the garlic, in a mixing bowl. Using the paddle attachment, combine the ingredients until well moistened.
   
   
2. Switch to the dough hook and knead for 5 to 7 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled.
   
   
3. Separate dough into 4 portions, shape into a round and place on a lightly floured board. Cover and let rest 20 minutes.
   
   
4. In a large skillet, heat 1 inch canola oil to 350 degrees. Flatten and stretch dough to about an 8-inch diameter. Fry one at a time about 2 minutes per side or until golden. Drain on paper towels.
   
   
5. Serve hot rubbed with garlic clove and sprinkled with salt. Variations include topping with sour cream and chopped dill or shredded Emmenthaler or Gruyere cheese. Or, for a sweet version, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or confectioners' sugar.

The hake, the most popular summerfood around waterplaces

Another fishmeal, but mostly during summertime.
It is a real fashion food, you can find it everywhere, where a river or a lake is closeby. Although it is not a sweetwater fish, but is imported from seawater countries,
its became very popular among Hungarian people.
Traditionally the Hungarians like to enjoy their hake battered, with some fresh pickles, probably mayonnaise, a big slice of white bread, and a glass of cold fröccs(bier), of course.

• 1 kg hake
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 7 dl milk
• 20 dkg flour
• 3 eggs
• Salt
• Ground red paprika

Give your hakes a night bath – in half liter milk, flavored with a pinch of salt and crushed garlic. Immediately before frying, add the flour, the eggs and the paprika to the rest of the milk. Dip your fish into the mixture and fry them in oil (a lot of oil) for about ten minutes.

Fishsoup

                                                   

2 lbs fish*

2 carrots

                                                       1 parsley root                                                       

1/2 celery root

4 onions – grated

2 Tbsp lard or oil

Salt

                                      Black pepper                                     

         ½ oz paprika         

                                               

Scale, wash and gut fish, then debone and cut into equal size cubes and place in a big pot.                                                        

In another pot, sautee onion with lard, add paprika** , add the cleaned heads, backbones, tails, fins, small fish and vegetables, add salt and black pepper, cover with cold water. Cook about 15 to 20 minutes. Strain stock and pour it over cut up fish. Cook about 20-25 minutes, shaking the pot several times. It must not be stirred, so that the fish won't break into pieces. Add salt to taste. May be garnished with green peppers cut into long slices.  

 

* catfish, pike, carp or perch

** paprika may be sweet, hot or mixed

Hungarian sweets

The closest one to our hostel is the Krisztina Confectioner which was opened in 1984 by László Zila master confectioner. In that time, it was next to an open-door pool. Since 2002 the Confectioner's is part of Zila Coffee House and Restaurant, functioning in the renovated historic building of the former pool's main building.
The most famous hungarian cakes loved by me are somlói glauska, isler, dobos torta, madártej.
Krisztina has an own cake the socalled világújdonság torta which can be taken only here it is by the own receipt of László Zila.



Interesting that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt love so much to make movies in Hungary that they spend quiet lot of time in our country, even bought a flat in Budapest.
Last year Angelina Jolie has been visited the wonderful patissery to try the hungarian sweets and icecreams.



Every year in June there is an icecream cooking competion, the winner of this year was the pistachio.