Hortobágyi Palacsinta
Hungarian Stuffed Crepes
Contributed by Kenneth Ronkowitz
Behind the Dish
This recipe comes from Kenneth Ronkowitz’s grandmother who brought this dish from her native
Austria-Hungary. Palacsinta means pancake but these thin pancakes are what we typically call crêpes. The filling can be sweet or savory. This recipe is a savory type with a meat filling, covered with a sour cream sauce, and then baked. As Kenneth recalls, this wasn’t considered a grand dish, but rather something easily made for lunch or supper. To make the pancakes his grandmother would turn a cast iron pan upside down, thereby converting it into a base for pouring the crepe batter. Customarily the sweet version, topped with fruit, sour cream and butter, was served for lunch. The savory version was more often served for supper.
Palacsinta is the Hunagrian word for pancake or crêpe. My Ronskevics’ grandparents came from what was then called Austria-Hungary but spoke Slovak and so would have used the Czech spelling, Palcinky. (The name Hortobágyi, a village in Hungary, was added much later.) These thin pancakes can be sweet or savoury. This recipe is savoury with meat, covered with a sauce mixed with sour cream and then baked.
- Kenneth Ronkowitz
Prep Time 30 minutes Cook Time 40 minutes Servings 4 -6 Servings
Ingredients
Stew:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup diced onions
1 pound ground veal, chicken, pork, or beef
10 1/2 ounces (300 g) diced tomatoes
1 cup water
4 teaspoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
Crepes:
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
Oil for pan
Sauce:
Drained liquid from meat
1/4 cup flour
1 cup sour cream
Instructions
In a large pan, drizzle olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent. Stir in the meat and break it up into small pieces. Cook, continuing to break it up, until browned. Stir in tomatoes and water. Add paprika, caraway seeds, and parsley. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens. Stir in 1/2 cup sour cream.
Place a fine mesh sieve over a medium bowl. Pour meat sauce into the sieve and let drain.
In another medium bowl, whisk together eggs, flour, and milk until a smooth batter forms.
Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium low heat. Brush with about 1/4 teaspoon oil. Pour in about 1/4 cup batter and quickly tilt the pan to coat with a thin circle of batter. When the top begins to dry, flip to cook the other side. Cook until the bottom begins to turn golden, about 1 minute. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing the pan with oil as needed.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish or 2 smaller baking dishes.
Place a layer of drained meat along the lower third of a crepe, leaving a 1 inch border on the edges. Fold in the sides and roll up. Place in prepared baking dish, seam side down. Repeat with remaining crepes and filling.
Whisk 1/4 cup flour and 1 cup sour cream into the drained liquid from the meat until smooth. Pour over the prepared crepes. Bake in preheated oven until heated through and sauce is bubbly, about 15 minutes.
Serve hot with sour cream.