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Hortobágyi palacsinta
Hortobágyi palacsinta: savoury pancakes filled with paprika chicken, baked in creamy sauce
Named after the Hortobágy puszta, Hungary's great grassland in the east, these savoury pancakes are a favourite starter in Hungarian restaurants and a clever family meal. Thin palacsinta are filled with finely chopped paprika chicken, folded into parcels, and baked in the paprika-soured cream sauce until bubbling. Chef's tip: chop the cooked chicken very finely or pulse it briefly; a fine filling makes neat, tight parcels.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the pancakes
For the filling
For the sauce
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Whisk 5 ½ oz plain flour, 2 eggs, 1 ¼ cups milk, ½ cup sparkling water and 1 pinch salt into a thin, smooth batter. Rest for 15 minutes.
5 minStep 2: For the filling, cook 1 onion in 2 tbsp vegetable oil for 8 minutes until soft. Add 1 ⅓ lb boneless chicken thighs and stir for 5 minutes, then take the pan off the heat and stir in 1 ½ tbsp Hungarian sweet paprika. Return to the heat with 1 green pepper, 1 tomato, ¾ cup water and 1 tsp salt, cover and simmer for 20 minutes until the chicken is tender and reaches 165°F.
33 minStep 3: Meanwhile heat a 22 cm frying pan over a medium heat, wipe with 2 tbsp vegetable oil and pour in a small ladle of batter, swirling to coat thinly. Cook for 1 minute per side until spotted golden. Make 8 pancakes.
15 minStep 4: Lift the chicken out of the sauce with a slotted spoon and chop very finely. Mix it with 3 tbsp of the ¼ cup soured cream.
5 minStep 5: Whisk the rest of the 1 cup soured cream with 1 tbsp plain flour and stir into the paprika liquid in the pan. Simmer for 2 minutes until thickened. A common mistake is skipping the flour; the cream splits in the oven without it.
3 minStep 6: Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan). Put a spoonful of filling on each pancake, fold in the sides and roll into parcels. Lay them in a buttered baking dish, pour over the sauce and bake for 15 minutes until bubbling and the filling is piping hot. Scatter with 1 tbsp parsley.
20 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 640 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 33 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hortobágyi palacsinta take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 55 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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