Hungarian Meatballs in Paprika Sour Cream with Hungarian Green Bean Salad
By curious circumstance, I found myself in Vienna in 1968, shortly after the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia and just over a decade after the Soviet invasion of Hungary. I was there for the International Philosophical Congress, which didn’t hold my interest long. There was much more to see and experience outside the confines of academia. Aside from the eternal beauty of Vienna as a center for music, the fine arts, and fine pastries, the streets were filled with people—Czechs as well as Hungarians—who had taken refuge in the welcoming city following the invasion of their countries. The energizing buzz over the politics of the time was everywhere, expressed in Czech, Russian, Hungarian Magyar (a language unrelated to nearly all other European languages and incomprehensible to ears unfamiliar with it), and in other tongues as well. But, as always, the food served as a binding, cohesive force. The city’s dining establishments, casual bistros and more formal restaurants alike, were filled with east Europeans, Viennese locals, and tourists like me, all looking for something good to eat. In addition to the impossible-to-resist Viennese fare, there were many Hungarian dishes which had become a familiar part of Viennese cooking. That is when and where I discovered the essential tastes and food combinations of east European cuisine, and, more important, that no matter what, food of the homeland is never left behind.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Green Bean Salad
Meatballs
Preparation
Step 1
First, make the green bean salad so it can marinate. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and cook rapidly until quite limp and tender but still bright green, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the size of the green beans. Drain and transfer to a serving bowl. Whisk together the oil, vinegar, shallot, parsley, and mustard. Pour the dressing over the beans and toss to mix. Season with salt and pepper and set aside at room temperature for 1 hour, or refrigerate for up to several hours, but not overnight.
Step 2
To cook the meatballs, heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the meatballs and sauté until lightly browned all around, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan.
Step 3
With the pan still over medium heat, add the onion and stir to coat with the fat. Add the water, paprika, bell pepper, tomatoes, and salt and stir to mix. Return the meatballs to the pan, turn them gently about to mix them in, cover the pan, and gently simmer until they are no longer pink in the center and the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 4
In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream until smooth. Add it to the sauté pan and stir gently to combine.
Step 5
Spoon the meatballs and sauce into a serving dish and serve hot, with the green bean salad on the side.
