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Holúbky Starej Mamy (Plnená Kapusta)

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Furtwangler View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Furtwangler Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 July 2014 at 06:38

Hi, there,

This is a really nice recipe for holúbky. I'm going to share mine with you here if you don't mind.

Two years ago or so, I made a trip with a few friends to the Slovak part of the famous Tokaj wine region. The wine was absolutely stunning, especially the old botrytised dessert wines were unbelievably complex and delicious. The food was, however, lacking. Having heard the stories of the wonderful food one can get for cheap on the Hungarian side, I was disappointed. No homemade pirohy, no roasted lamb, no ducks, no geese, no turkeys, only some very ordinary food. Which, I think, is pity if you consider the greatness of the wines (and the money paid). But I had some holúbky there and these were the Hungarian/SE Slovak style holúbky (from the historical region of Zemplín), i.e. without sauerkraut and with tomatoes and peppers. Again, disappointment, many flaws in the cooking. But it was something else and I thought it had a lot of potential if done right. So I decided to do just that and here's the result.

I bake it in the oven in a Römertopf clay baker that I first soak for about 10 minutes in cold water. Of course, you need to start with a cold oven lest it break. When taking it out when done, you absolutely must put it on a thick dry towel to prevent breaking.

The filling is this: rather fatty pork meat, about a pound should be enough, rice, good-quality Hungarian sweet paprika (the towns Szeged and Kalocsa are among the best producers, look for édes or csemege), two bread rolls or kaiser buns (any bakery product made with yeast, flour, water, salt, maybe oil and nothing else), milk, two large onions, three to five garlic cloves, salt and pepper, good home-rendered lard. You need to slowly fry the onions (chopped) in lard, adding chopped garlic when done and frying a bit more, then off the heat with it and add a heaping teaspoon of paprika and stir. Add this to the meat. Cut up the buns and soak them in warm milk until completely soggy and mash them. Add this to the meat, season with salt and pepper and add the rice (I never measure it, so I can't tell you).

With this you stuff the leaves, about two tablespoons of stuffing per leaf. Other than that, slice several perfectly-ripe tomatoes and peppers. I like to use different varieties of peppers - white, yellow, light green, dark green, orange, red, some sweet ones, some hot ones, or all sweet ones and then add a couple of sliced fresh chillies (green or red, it doesn't matter). And cube and fry some good smoked bacon.

Put some tomato and peppers slices on the bottom of the clay baker, add the first layer of cabbage rolls, some more tomatoes and peppers and all the bacon (including the dripping), the second layer of cabbage leaves and finally cover it all with a lot of tomatoes and peppers, dot generously (I really mean it) with lard, cover and put it in a cold oven. Turn the oven up and bake for four to five hours at 150°C.

Made this way, it's wonderful. Serve it with good bread and lots of good, fatty soured cream.

"La cuisine, c'est quand les choses ont le goût de ce qu'elles sont."
- Curnonsky

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AK1 View Drop Down
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Joined: 10 April 2012
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AK1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 July 2014 at 21:03
Very nice. Thanks for posting. 

I love the Tokaj dessert wines, they are some of my favourites. I still have some 4 & 5 puttonyos that are 20+yrs old in my cellar.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 July 2014 at 23:22
Furtwangler - your description paints a beautiful picture. Your writing clearly shows something that I discovered as well: holúbky are a labour of love!

Thank you for sharing your way of making this wonderful meal - I will try it next time I make these!


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Furtwangler View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Furtwangler Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 July 2014 at 11:29
Thank you, Ron. I totally agree about the labour of love comment. By the way, it's me, Tomas from Cheftalk.
"La cuisine, c'est quand les choses ont le goût de ce qu'elles sont."
- Curnonsky

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TasunkaWitko View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 July 2014 at 09:03
Hello, Tomas! I was pretty sure that was you! 

I am happy to see you here, and am very grateful for your advice and contributions. Hope to see more from you and also that we may have something to share with you as well.

Please make yourself at home here, and feel free to drop in any time! Beer
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