Tarhonya is lovely and it is worth the time to prepare. Use tarhonya in a variety of Hungarian dishes and as accompaniment of various meat courses in place of nokedli. The traditional making of tarhonya is not for the faint of heart.
EGG BARLEY
2/3 cup flour1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
• Combine ingredients and knead smooth.
• Divide the dough into two balls and let them firm up for a half an hour.
• Grate both balls on the coarse side of a grater.
• Spread the dough bits out in a single layer on large baking sheets.
• Let them dry thoroughly in a barely warm oven.
• Place one or two tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick fry pan and turn the heat on low.
• Add the dough bits and slowly fry until tarhonya is golden, but not brown.
• Take your time, avoid burning it.
• Add 1/2 cup of water and bring it to a slow simmer.
• Stir occasionally and check for tenderness.
• Add more water as many times as needed, 1/4 cup at the time, to maintain moisture.
• The tarhonya is ready when all the liquid is absorbed and the bits are soft, but slightly firm in texture.
• Let it set with a lid on for 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 2
Watching this video made me wonder how many skin cells end up in the tarhonya this way. But hey, there are cultures used to kneed the dough with four hands, two of them feet of course.
