Kolbászos Lecsó

Kolbászos Lecsó

Recipes with Csabai Kolbász

Lecsó is Hungary's answer to ratatouille: a stew of wax peppers and tomatoes cooked down in pork fat until jammy, then loaded with csabai kolbász rounds that release their paprika oil into the whole pot. Eaten with fresh bread and a spoonful of tejföl on top.

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

40 min

Servings

4

Difficulty

Easy

Ingredients

  • 200g csabai kolbász, sliced into 5mm rounds
  • 6 yellow wax peppers, deseeded and sliced
  • 4 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 2 medium onions, sliced
  • 2 tbsp lard or vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Tejföl (sour cream) to serve
  • Fresh white bread to serve

Steps

1

Heat the lard in a wide, heavy pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.

2

Add the kolbász slices and cook for 3 minutes until lightly coloured. The fat from the sausage will run into the onions and turn the base red.

3

Add the sweet paprika and stir for 30 seconds. Do not let it burn.

4

Add the sliced peppers and stir to coat. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat until the peppers begin to soften.

5

Add the tomatoes and a large pinch of salt. Stir everything together, reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. The tomatoes should break down completely and the mixture should look glossy and thick.

6

Taste and adjust salt. Serve in deep bowls or plates with a spoonful of tejföl on top and fresh bread alongside.

Tips

Lecsó improves the next day. Make a large batch and eat half for dinner, leaving the rest to deepen overnight. The csabai kolbász continues to season the pepper base as it sits. If the stew thickens too much on reheating, add a splash of water.