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Tökfőzelék
Tökfőzelék: Hungarian summer marrow stew with dill, a dash of vinegar and sour cream
Főzelék is a whole category of Hungarian cooking, a vegetable cooked down until thick enough to eat with a spoon, and tökfőzelék is the summer one. Shredded marrow is softened with onion, sharpened with vinegar, perfumed with lots of fresh dill and thickened with sour cream. Budapest school canteens and lunch counters have served it for generations, often topped with a fried egg or a few slices of pickled vegetables, with fresh white bread on the side. It tastes fresh, gently sour and creamy, with the marrow still keeping a little bite. Flour is the usual thickener, but here a spoonful of cornflour in the sour cream keeps it gluten free. The usual slip is skipping the salting: the marrow then floods the pan with water and the stew turns thin and bland. Chef's tip: squeeze the salted marrow hard in a clean towel; the drier it is, the deeper the flavour.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 ⅝ lb summer marrow or large courgettespeeled, seeds removed, coarsely grated
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 oz butter
- 1 small onionfinely chopped
- ½ tsp sweet paprika
- ¾ cup water
- ⅔ oz fresh dillchopped
- 1 ½ tbsp white wine vinegaror to taste
- 1 tsp sugar
- 7 oz sour cream
- 1 ½ tbsp cornflour
- 1 pinch white pepper
- 4 fried eggs (optional)to serve
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Toss 2 ⅝ lb summer marrow or large courgettes with 2 tsp salt in a colander and leave for 10 minutes, until it has released plenty of liquid. Squeeze it firmly in a clean towel.
12 minStep 2: Melt 1 oz butter in a wide pan over a medium heat and fry 1 small onion for 4 minutes, until soft but not coloured. Stir in ½ tsp sweet paprika for a few seconds, off the heat.
4 minStep 3: Add the marrow and ¾ cup water, cover and cook over a medium heat for 8 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the strands are soft but still hold their shape.
8 minStep 4: Stir in half the ⅓ oz fresh dill, 1 ½ tbsp white wine vinegar and 1 tsp sugar.
1 minStep 5: Whisk 7 oz sour cream with 1 ½ tbsp cornflour and a few spoonfuls of the hot liquid until smooth, then stir it into the pan.
2 minStep 6: Simmer gently for 3 minutes, stirring, until thick and creamy. Season with 1 pinch white pepper, taste for salt and vinegar, then stir in the rest of the ⅓ oz fresh dill.
3 minStep 7: Serve in deep plates, topped with 4 fried eggs if you like.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 13 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tökfőzelék take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of summer marrow or large courgettes?
- Cucumber, same weight (raw dishes only).
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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