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Hungarian Meat Pancakes (Hortobágyi Palacsinta)

A Hungarian crepe with a savoury filling in the form of shredded chicken. Served with a sauce made from the pörkölt cooking liquid whisked together with tejföl (sour cream). And served with a dollop of yet more sour cream on top.

Ingredients

Filling

  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 chicken thighs (skin on)
  • 2 medium onions (finely chopped)
  • 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
  • 2 TV paprika ((or 1 large green bell pepper chopped into small dice))
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 200 ml tejföl (sour cream)

Pancakes

  • 200 ml full fat milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 200 ml water
  • salt
  • 65 ml extra virgin olive oil

Instructions 

Filling

  • Heat the oil to a heavy bottomed pan then sauté the onions for 5-6 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for a further minute, stirring well to combine the ingredients.
  • Take the pan off the heat and add the paprika and mix well then return the pan to the heat and add the chicken, and stir well to coat the chicken with the onion mixture.
  • Cook the chicken just long enough for it to change colour. If the onion mixture starts to dry out or burn add a tbsp of water.
  • Add enough water just to cover the chicken, cover the pan then simmer on a low heat for an hour.
  • Take the pan off the heat. Then remove the chicken and set aside to cool. When cool, remove the thigh bones and then chop the chicken thighs and the skin until finely shredded.
  • For a creamy texture, use a stick blender to purée the sauce in the pan.
  • Mix together the tejföl (sour cream) and the flour in a clean bowl and stir until there are no lumps. Add to the sauce in the pan. If the sauce is too thick, add enough water so that you have a nice thick saucy consistency.

Pancakes

  • Beat together the milk, eggs, water and salt together then whisk in the flour and a little oil.
  • Ideally let the mixture stand for 30 minutes, but you can use it straight away.
  • Pour in half a ladleful of pancake batter into a crepe or frying pan and fry for a few minutes until then underside starts to brown.
  • Flip the pancake and repeat not the other side.
  • Repeat the same process with the rest of the batter.
  • Assembly
  • Pre-heat the over to 170C
  • Lay out your first pancake and add some shredded chicken towards one end, then roll the up the pancake so you have a nice long tube with the meat wrapped uo in the middle, then use your fingers to push in the ends of pancake to seal the pancake. Repeat for all pancakes.
  • Place the filled pancakes into an oven proof baking dish, and then fill the baking dish with the sauce, but dont fully submerge the pancakes.
  • Bake for about 15 minutes then serve with some sour cream.

Notes

How thick or thin you make the pancakes, and how much or little filling you add is really up to you.
I often skip the baking step at the end and just serve the pancakes with hot sauce drizzled all over it.