Hungarian Recipe Of The Week: Hortobágyi Palacsinta (Stuffed Crepes)

  • 11 Dec 2023 7:39 AM
Hungarian Recipe Of The Week: Hortobágyi Palacsinta (Stuffed Crepes)
The Hortobágyi palacsinta is a savoury Hungarian pancake, filled with meat (usually veal). The meat is prepared as a stew; minced meat is fried with onions and spices like the pörkölt or the paprikás dish, using, veal, veal with mushrooms, chicken or Hungarian sausage.

The pancakes are filled with the minced meat, tucking in the ends, and are baked in the oven with a paprika and tejföl (sour cream) sauce, then topped with fresh parsley.

The dish actually does not originate from the Hortobágy region of the Great Hungarian Plain and has nothing to do with Hortobágy. It was originally invented for the 1958 Brussels World Fair.

However some Hungarian recipe books already featured a similar recipe in the 1930s.

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup diced onions
1 pound ground veal, chicken, pork, or beef
10 1/2 ounces (300 g) diced tomatoes
1 cup water
4 teaspoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Crepes:

4 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
Oil for pan

Sauce:

Drained liquid from meat
1/4 cup flour
1 cup sour cream

Instructions

In a large pan, drizzle olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent. Stir in the meat and break it up into small pieces. Cook, continuing to break it up, until browned. Stir in tomatoes and water. Add paprika, caraway seeds, and parsley. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens. Stir in 1/2 cup sour cream.

Place a fine mesh sieve over a medium bowl. Pour meat sauce into the sieve and let drain.

In another medium bowl, whisk together eggs, flour, and milk until a smooth batter forms.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium low heat. Brush with about 1/4 teaspoon oil. Pour in about 1/4 cup batter and quickly tilt the pan to coat with a thin circle of batter. When the top begins to dry, flip to cook the other side. Cook until the bottom begins to turn golden, about 1 minute. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing the pan with oil as needed.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish or 2 smaller baking dishes.

Place a layer of drained meat along the lower third of a crepe, leaving a 1 inch border on the edges. Fold in the sides and roll up. Place in prepared baking dish, seam side down. Repeat with remaining crepes and filling.

Whisk 1/4 cup flour and 1 cup sour cream into the drained liquid from the meat until smooth. Pour over the prepared crepes. Bake in preheated oven until heated through and sauce is bubbly, about 15 minutes.

Serve hot with sour cream.

Source: wikipedia.com

  • How does this content make you feel?