Lecho LecsÓ 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.

LECHO

Steps:

• Saute onions and peppers.
• Add all other vegetables and Kielbasa.You also can saute the kielbasa first before mixing with vegetables so the kielbasa will be more crunchy and without fat.
• Lower the heat and continue cooking until vegetables are tender (you can cover a little bit if you want more liquid).
• Add tomato paste, salt , pepper and vegetable seasoning (Vegeta, if you have it).
• Serve with French Bread. Enjoy. Smacznego.

HUNGARIAN LECSO - PEPPER, SAUSAGE AND TOMATO STEW

Steps:

• METHOD: In a heavy, straight-sided sauté pan or a casserole (like a Dutch Oven), melt three generous tablespoons of delicious lard.
• Prepare all peppers, core, devein and cut into 4-6 long narrow wedges.
• Cut onions into ½ moon slices. Place onions and peppers into the lard on high heat. Stir-fry until it becomes like a stew, cooked, but still firm; only about 6-8 minutes - no longer, you want the integrity of the peppers to remain in tact and the bright colours to stay. Then, add all seasonings, stewed tomatoes and paste.
• Adding the Hungarian Sausage: Take 1 pair of Hungarian Kolbász (Sausage) and slice it on the "diagonal" - the visual effect is important. You can add the slices right into the pepper stew and let it stew together if it's not too dry. Other sausage variations like Debrecen are ideal, but the drier ones, like the Gyulai sausage are exceptionally delicious. Note: if the sausage is too dry - stew beforehand in ½ cup water in a shallow saucepan for 10-15 minutes before adding it to the peppers. (Add both stewing liquid and sausage to the peppers).
• Let simmer until all flavours are melded; about 4-6 minutes. Warning - when you are stirring, use a wooden slotted spoon so as not to break up the peppers - you are not going for baby food!
• Serving Suggestions: Serve with fluffy white jasmine rice and/or fresh Hungarian white bread. You can jazz it up or play it down. However you use, it you will find it to be very complimentary with a variety of your favourite dishes.