"A Bor Nem Szörnyű", Making Paprikás Csirke & Nokedli, and Lics Wines

That Hungarian phrase - "A Bor Szörnyű" - came up again and again and again in my albeit brief foray into learning the Hungarian language. In preparation for our Central European adventure, I was assigned Hungarian, D dove into Czech, and R dabbled in German.

The phrase "a bor szörnyű" translates to "the wine is terrible." And my online language tutorial had every variation of that sentiment: the wine is terrible; that restaurant has terrible wine; etc. I grew legitimately concerned about what wines I would be offered in Hungary. I am happy to report that throughout our ten-day whirlwind through Central Europe, I enjoyed amazing wines. "A bor nem szörnyű." The wine is not terrible. Thankfully. In fact, I am quite sad that there are not more of these wines imported to the United States.

One of my favorite (wine) experiences while in Budapest came during a cooking class we had booked with Foodapest. We met our guide, Mesi (pronounced Meshi), at the Central Market where she led us through the stalls, introducing us to the different ingredients and giving us the history of the market.

Then, we walked to an apartment and she guided us through making Paprikás Csirke (Hungarian Chicken Paprikash) and Nokedli (Hungarian Egg Dumplings akin to German Spätzle). But first we started off which shots of Pálinka, Hungarian fruit brandy, and a cheese board. We learned that every household can make their own Pálinka and the one she poured was made with plums. Also we learned that you never drink alone and you toast with an enthusiastic Egészségére!

After our cheese board with three different Hungarian cured meats and cheeses, we donned aprons, gathered around the table with wine glasses charged with a Hungarian white wine, and started to prep the vegetables for our Chicken Paprikash. Even with all my kitchen experience, I don't usually use sharp knives after wine. But, when in Rome, right? Or Budapest as the case may be.

And, yes, I am going to share that I have been duped for over twenty-seven years. My husband has knife skills I didn't know he had. He claims that it doesn't mean he can cook. Still! All three of us were dumbfounded as he prepped his veggies faster than all of us. Mesi asked, "You didn't know your husband could cook?!"

Paprikás Csirke

Hungarian Chicken Paprikash

When we made this in the class, we didn't really follow a recipe as it's a grandmother's recipe and, you know, grandmothers rarely measure. But Mesi did provide a written recipe. I have since made the recipe at home, swapping out for gluten-free flour and skipping the hot paprika paste...only because I have yet to figure out where to get a jar! One of the things I love about learning cuisines from around the world: new techniques. I have never stirred flour into sour cream to use it as a thickener. But I will be doing that more often.

Ingredients

• oil (Mesi suggested a neutral oil such as sunflower, but I opted for a lighter olive oil)

• 1 onion, peeled and diced (approximately 2 cups)

• 2 peppers, cored and diced (approximately 2 cups) - use a Hungarian yellow wax pepper if you can get your hands on one, otherwise use yellow or red as they are more sweet than the green

• 4 to 5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

• 4 to 5 tomatoes, diced (approximately 2 cups)

• chicken thighs or drumsticks, skin-on, bone-in

• water or chicken stock

• 4 to 5 Tablespoons sweet paprika

• 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika

• 1 Tablespoon pepper paste (I don't have a good substitute for this, so I skipped it when I made it again)

• 1 Tablespoon salt

• 1 to 2 teaspoons black pepper

• 1 cup sour cream

• 1 cup flour (I used gluten-free at home)

• salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

Heat the pan over medium heat and add oil. When it is shimmering, add in the onions. Sauté until the onions are softened and translucent. Add in the paprikas, peppers, and tomatoes. Cook for a few minutes, then add in the chicken. Pour in enough water or stock so that the chicken is completely submerged. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 35 to 40 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and fold in the minced garlic.

In a small mixing bowl, Whisk together the sour cream and flour. Add in liquid from the chicken and whisk until smooth to temper the sour cream. Once the sour cream mixture is warm to the touch, stir it into the pot to thicken the broth. Add more salt and pepper as needed.

Serve hot with potatoes or dumplings.

Nokedli

Hungarian Egg Dumplings

This is very similar to the German Spätzle I have watched Undine make; even the maker/tool was the same. You bet I just ordered one as I will definitely be making this soon.

These measurements are a rough guideline. Mesi looked at our batter and adjusted based on what it looked like.

Ingredients

• 2 eggs

• 200 grams flour

• 100 milliliters water

• pinch of salt

• Also needed: dumpling maker (Amazon affiliate link)

Procedure

Beat eggs in a mixing bowl until uniform in color. Add in the floor and water. Stir with a wooden spoon until a batter forms. When you turn a spoonful upside down, it should hesitate before it falls off.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Place the dumpling maker over the pot. Then push the batter into the pot. Let boil for 5 to 8 minutes until the dumplings float.

Pull the dumplings out with a strainer and serve with the stew.

Lics Wines

During the course of our four-hour class, we drank three different wines, a white, a pink, and a red from Lics Winery. Because the bottles didn't have labels, I didn't actually remember from where the wines came. Thankfully, Mesi responded to me with the grapes and the winery. Köszönöm!

The wines came in unlabeled bottles, but they were bottled by Lics especially for Foodapest. Lics Winery was founded by László and Eva Lics in 1989. They have seventy hectares in two different wine regions - Szekszárd and Etyek-Buda (Pákózd).

The white wine, Mesi told me, was a Zöldveltelini. I had never heard of it, so I did some digging. It turns out that Zöldveltelini is the Hungarian name for the grape that’s called Grüner Veltliner in German-speaking countries. And, it turns out, I had been drinking Grüner Veltliner throughout the entire trip. The grape is common throughout Austria, mainly in Lower Austria, Burgenland and the provinces of Vienna; it is rarely found in the New World!

It produces a light, spicy, and fruity white wine with green notes and layers of citrus and peppercorns. It’s very food-friendly and the Lics wine is no different. This one had a dense, creamy texture with significant minerality.

We also tried what I think was their Nora-Bora Rozé Cuvée. Again, there were no labels. But if it is this wine, it's a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Kékfrankos, and Kadarka. Since I can't confirm that, I'll just leave it at this. The wine poured a light quince color. On the palate it was dry, crisp, and refreshing with a subtle acidity balanced with peaches and cream, rhubarb and lychee. It was really lovely.

And the red wine, which we drank with the meal, is even more mysterious. I can't find any mention of a red wine blend from the winery. Since I don't know what the blend is, I can't comment on the grapes. But I can tell you this was a light to medium body wine with hints of cherry and the perfect touch of spice. Again, it was delicious and the perfect match for our Paprikás Csirke and Nokedli.

Well, that's a wrap for our cooking class in Budapest and the wines we tried. Stay tuned for more of my summer adventures and wine pairings. I am so glad that the wine ended up being fantastic.