Lamb Soup With Sour Cream (Palócleves) #EatTheWorld

  

Here we are at the final #EattheWorld event for 2020. What a year this has been! This challenge has been one that gave us some excuse for virtual travel as we've been sheltered-in-place with the coronavirus epidemic for most of the year. So, we've been able to read about different parts of the world and create a dinner, or at least a dish, with that cuisine.

This Eat the World project is spearheaded by Evelyne of CulturEatz. Read more about her challenge. This month, Evelyne had us heading to Hungary. But, before we get to that collection, I just wanted to recap where we've been this year. Click on my recipe title to go to the original post...

The Year in Review

• Trinidad and Tobago - January 2020 - Chicken Curry, Trini-Style
• Iraq - February 2020 - Hadgi Badah (Iraqi Cardamom Cookies)
• Fiji - March 2020 - Curry, Pulao, and Cassava Cake
• Senegal - April 2020 - The Kitchen Elves' Senegalese-Style Gumbo

• Bulgaria - May 2020 - Patatnik + 2016 Edoardo Miroglio Bio Mavrud & Rubin
• Columbia - June 2020 - Bollos de Mazorca (Steamed Fresh Corn Rolls)
• Soul Food - July 2020 - Food to Soothe the Soul
• Bangladesh - August 2020 - Fulkopir Chop (Bangladeshi Cauliflower Fritters)

• The Netherlands - September 2020 - Memories of Holland, Dutch Traditions, and Sailboat Speculaas
• Laos - October 2020 - Khao Nom Kok (Lao Coconut Cakes)
• Jamaica - November 2020 - Jamaican Stew Peas

And, now, here we are in December with a variety of recipes from Hungary. Here's what the group is sharing this month...

• Sneha’s Recipe: Hungarian Beef Goulash 
• Magical Ingredients: Langos - Hungarian Potato Fry Bread 
• Sugarlovespices: Hungarian Gerbeaud Cake 
• Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Lamb Soup With Sour Cream (Palócleves) 
• Making Miracles: Beef Goulash 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Hungarian Short Ribs 
• Pandemonium Noshery: Rakott Krumpli - Hungarian Potato Casserole 
• Kitchen Frau: Túrós Csusza (Pasta with Cottage Cheese) 
• CulturEatz: Borleves | A Hungarian Christmas Wine Soup
• Amy's Cooking Adventures: Hungarian Braised Short Ribs

A Feast from Hungary

I have never been to Hungary, but I did pick it as a theme for one of my best friend's birthday dinners a decade ago. Wow. It doesn't seem that long ago, but it was and it was delicious. We toasted with Royal Tokaji Aszu wine. Pronounced toh-KAY ah-SOO, the first Tokaji wine was created by accident in the 1600s from a harvest that was delayed by the threat of enemy invasion.

And I will have to rewrite these posts one of these days, but we had Paradicsomleves (Tomato Soup), Palacsinta, Hungarian Crêpes; Sorma (Cabbage Rolls); and Gwetche Kuchen (Plum Tart). 

I wanted to try a new-to-us recipe and attempted Hungarian Semolina Dumpling Soup (Grízgaluska Leves) which was disastrous. I will try it again soon and stick closer to a real recipe. It was the middle of the week and I was trying to use what I had instead of heading to the store. Too many substitutes ended up in a wreck of a meal!

Lamb Soup With Sour Cream (Palócleves)

Palócleves is a traditional Hungarian lamb soup. Made with lamb shoulder, onions, garlic, paprika, and potatoes, it is typically seasoned with salt, pepper, bay leaves, and dill. Then it's served in big bowls with an extra dollop of sour cream on top.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds lamb, cubed
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons sea salt  + more for serving
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 Tablespoon hot paprika
• 6 C water or stock (I used a combination of beef bone stock and water)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 large onion, chopped (approximately 2 cups)
• 1 pound potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
• 4 to 5 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 to 3 carrots, chopped
• 2 cups fresh green beans, cut to 1" lengths (these are not traditional, but I wanted to used them)
• 2 Tablespoons fresh dill, roughly chopped
• Also needed: sour cream, microgreens for garnish

Procedure

Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add in lamb and cook until browned on all sides. Stir in the salt, pepper, and paprikas. Add in the onions and bay leaves. Then pour in the water and/or stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 2 hours. The meat should be tender enough to be cut with a spoon.

Stir in the onions, potatoes, celery, and carrots. Return the soup to a simmer and cook for an hour. Fold in the herbs and green beans. Simmer for another 30 minutes.

If serving immediately, serve hot. However, it is much better if you let the soup sit overnight for flavors to meld properly. Reheat and serve with the garnishes - a large dollop of sour cream and herbs or microgreens on top.

Well, that's a wrap on our 2020 #EattheWorld series. I hope you've enjoyed the virtual travel by tabletop. I can't wait to see what she has in store for us in 2021. Stay tuned...