Use the kohlrabi in place of meat and make a rich paprikás. Because of its mild flavour, kohlrabi really takes on the flavour of the sweet onions, the paprika and the sour cream. The bacon and homemade meat stock enhance it, but this can be easily made into a vegetarian meal. In fact, this could be as close as one can get to experience the wonderful flavour of paprikás without meat. It is essential to use tender new kohlrabi; once it’s woody, the kohlrabi is good to flavour a soup stock, but eating it is no longer enjoyable.
PAPRIKA KOHLARABI
1/2 cup diced bacon1 onion
salt to taste
4 very young kohlrabis
1 to 1-1/2 cups of soup stock as needed
1 tomato, peeled and crushed
1 Hungarian yellow pepper or 1/2 yellow bell, chopped
1 -2 Tbsp Hungarian paprika
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup 14% sour cream
• Dice a small piece of block bacon.
• Slow fry it in a non stick skillet until transparent. If you prefer crispy bacon, do it ever so slowly and make sure you don’t scorch the bacon or the remaining fat.
• Meanwhile dice the onion.
• Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set it aside for use later.
• Add the onions to the bacon fat and slow fry until transparent.
• Meanwhile peel the kohlrabi and chop them into 1/2 inch cubes. Do not use even slightly woody kohlrabi flesh.
• Add the kohlrabi and stir it in with a wooden spoon to coat with the fried onions.
• Add a little bit from the stock, tomato and pepper and bring it to a slow simmer.
• Stir in the Hungarian paprika and cover the pot.
• Reduce the heat a little and slow cook until the kohlrabi is tender. Occasionally stir the pot, and keep adding more stock as needed. The smaller you chopped the kohlrabi the less stock will be needed. Do not let the liquid reduce completely; always keep a little bit of liquid under the kohlrabi.
• When the kohlrabi is tender, combine the cornstarch with a few tablespoons of cold stock.
• Add to the skillet and stir it into the liquid.
• Bring it to the boil and simmer slowly for a couple of minutes until the liquid thickens.
• Stir in the sour cream.
• Add the fried bacon and serve with nokedli or buttered pasta.
