If the recipe calls for "special" (különleges), "delicate" (csemege) or "fine-sweet" (édes-nemes) paprika, do not worry about the seemingly excessive amount of it in the ingredient list; it is necessary to obtain the proper flavor. Of course one can experiment with a lesser amount of paprika. The hot or rose-red (erös, rózsa) paprika is used to add color and flavor after cooking. (In these recipes, paprika always means fine-sweet paprika.)

A dish might become spicy-hot because the green pepper used was hot. Test the green peppers before use by tasting the ribs; most of the spicy-hot chemical capsicine is located in the ribs and seeds of the green pepper. Even a very hot green pepper can be rendered "painless" by the removal of the ribs and seeds.

Red paprika not only gives a pleasant taste and color, but also contains vitamins A and C and is beneficial for the digestive system. It is one of the most versatile of spices. For example, before broiling fish or meat, dip it into a mixture of flour and paprika, this will give a finer texture and a superior taste.

If fresh tomato is not available, be careful when you substitute a canned product for it. Tomato paste in excess will produce a sweetish taste and ruin the character of most dishes. If fresh tomato and green pepper are not available, 140g (1 cup) green pepper and 60g(1/4 cup) tomato can be replaced by l00g (7 Tbs) Hungarian canned lecsó, a mixture of stewed tomato and green pepper.

We recommend mixing the sour cream half and half with heavy cream. This will produce a refined flavor but maintain the piquant sourness of the sour cream.

In reference to fish dishes: almost any kind of fish can be used in Hungarian recipes. After all, there is not much chance that Hungarian fish is available. So substitute white-meat fish for pike (fogas) or trout, and dark-meat fish for carp or sturgeon.

The thickening agent for most Hungarian soups and vegetables is a browned roux. Roux are not only used for thickening but also to add a characteristic flavor to some of the dishes. The use of a roux is also important if you want to use the water-soluble vitamins and minerals which are leached from the vegetables and discarded with the cooking water when vegetables are just boiled in the French or English ma~er of cooking. When a roux is used, the nourishing stock is thickened and served with the vegetables.

The roux is prepared by mixing flour into the hot, but not burning hot, shortening: use lard or butter for this purpose. The flour is browned over moderate heat while it is constantly stirred for a few seconds for a white roux; for a few minutes for a light or rose colored roux; and if the recipe calls for a dark or brown roux, the addition of a small amount of sugar and use of longer time will produce the dark brown color. When the roux has reached the proper color, add the required liquid (water, milk, consomme, a stock from the vegetables), cold, to the hot roux; stir it until it has a smooth texture; then add it to the food being prepared.

Before the liquid is added to the roux, a variety of spices and herbs could also be added and browned together. For example, in the preparation of a light roux for tender green peas, one can add parsley or red paprika or dill; in the case of a light brown roux for fresh bean soup, the addition of finely chopped onion, a small amount of garlic or paprika is recommended. Savoy cabbage requires a darker brown roux; onion, garlic or paprika will flavor it nicely. With squash (vegetable marrow) we use a light roux and the dominant herb is dill, but a small amount of finely chopped onion will enhance the flavor. For green beans, the primary flavoring of the light brown roux comes from garlic, but parsley and paprika can also be added.

Don't use too much flour in the roux, rather less than more. The liquid should barely cover the vegetables. Otherwise you will get an unappetizing glue like substance with some vegetables floating in it. If you find before serving that the sauce is too thick, a small amount of water, milk or other liquid can be used to thin it. If, on the other hand, the sauce is too thin, mix flour with cold sour cream and add it to the sauce and vegetables. It will correct the consistency of the thin sauce.

How to brown onion and use paprika
Chop the recommended quantity of onion very fine, then saute it in the pre melted lard (shortening). After sauteing, brown the onion to the color required for the dish being prepared. It requires some practice to get the proper color of the onion consistently. Because different onions contain different amounts of water, timing is not very practical. You must use your judgment, but the taste of the dish depends considerably on the color of the fried onion.

The color of the finished onions could be: blanched or translucent, pale yellow, golden yellow or light brown. When the proper color is reached the heat must be turned as low as possible; then immediately stir in the paprika, add the meat or vegetable (e.g.: mushrooms), and salt, and keep on stirring and browning. This process will take 3 to 4 minutes. Do not shorten this time: the typical taste of pörkölt comes from this method of roasting. (Roasted meat is not exactly the same as pörkölt, because a different technique is used in the browning of the meat.) Do not try to speed up the browning process by overheating the shortening: the paprika will acquire a dark color and will be bitter to the taste. While stirring the browning meat, add a small amount of water or some other liquid as necessary. This will also govern the temperature of the dish being prepared.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS ARE FOR 6 SERVINGS.