HORTOBAGY STRUDEL - HORTOBÁGYI RÉTES

This is a simple and effortless recipe. Even those of us who enjoy trying new things possess a certain tendency to draw back on the familiar. Food is more comforting when familiar rather than exotic. I was thinking I should use up the rest of the filo sheets and with that in mind I bought a package of ground chicken. I looked at various recipes and considered Greek, Italian and even Moroccan chicken strudel, but failing to have spinach, mushrooms and several of the spices, I did a Hungarian search. That is when I found the recipe and surprise, surprise my pantry held everything I needed. Reminiscent of Hortobágyi Palacsinta, it tasted the same except maybe for the pastry.  We had it as a main course, but it would be just as good as an appetizer or a cold snack. Even though I think grating an entire onion doesn't follow as a time saver, not to mention how oniony the strudel would have been, it went well with a beer. I added rice, tomato and red peppers and they weren’t superfluous. Inspired by Stahl Konyhája, my Hortobagy Strudel is similar, though I suspect is quite different. Never sacrifice taste for convenience.  

HORTOBAGY STRUDEL

6 sheets of filo pastry

oil for spreading

2 heaping Tbsp fine breadcrumbs

Filling:

2 Tbsp oil

1/2 onion, finely chopped
250 g extra lean ground chicken

salt and pepper to taste

1 clove of garlic
1-1/2 Tbsp Hungarian paprika
1 large tomato, finely chopped

1 red pepper, diced
1/2 cup cooked rice

1/2 cup sour cream

• Preheat the oven to 400F.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a non stick skillet, heat three Tbsp olive oil on medium heat.
• Add the onions and sauté until soft.
• Add the ground chicken and break it up with a non abrasive spatula.
• Sauté until no pink remains.
• Remove from heat.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the garlic, the Hungarian paprika and give it a stir.
• Add the tomato and the pepper and stir.