Hungarian Food - Mecsek Highwaymen's Dumpling Soup (Mecseki Betyárgombócleves)

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Mecsek Highwaymen’s Dumpling Soup

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The hills of Mecsek (pronounced Metscheck) are located in southern Hungary north of the city of Pécs. The "mountains" cover an area of approximately 500 sq. km. and the highest one has an elevation of only 2238 feet.

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During the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, these hills were the scene of fierce battles between the Hungarian units, called "the Mecsek Invisibles" and the invading Soviet forces.

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This soup is a rich broth made from meat bones, carrots, parsley root and celery root thickened with sour cream and egg yolk. Large potato dumplings, called gombóc, are filled with a mixture of minced pork and onion and cooked in the boiling liquid.

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If you prefer not to make your own stock, you can start with 2-32 oz. boxes of beef stock. or broth but then the soup will not taste quite so flavorful.

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Difficulty:

Moderate

Preparation Time:

60 Minutes

Cooking Time:

1-1/2 Hours

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Ingredients for the Soup:

2 – 32 Oz. Boxes of Beef Stock

(or better yet, make your own broth using meaty beef soup bones)

1 Medium Onion peeled finely chopped

1 Celery Root peeled and finely chopped

2 Parsley Roots peeled and finely chopped

1 Large Carrot, scraped and finely chopped

2 Tablespoons Lard or Butter

2 Tablespoons Flour

1 Teaspoon Thyme

1 Teaspoon Salt

Black Pepper to taste.

½ cup of Sour Cream

1 Egg Yolk

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Ingredients for the Dumplings:

4 Large Potatoes, peeled, cubed and boiled in salted water

2 Tablespoons Butter or Lard

2 Heaping tablespoons Flour

2 Eggs

¼ Teaspoon Salt

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Ingredients for the Filling:

¾ Lb. of Minced Pork

1 Small onion peeled and finely chopped

1 Tablespoon of Butter or Lard

Salt and Pepper to taste

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Preparation:

1. Lightly brown the chopped vegetables in the butter or lard and sprinkle them with flour, thyme, salt and pepper. Continue cooking for two minutes and then add both boxes of stock. Gently simmer for about an hour and adjust the taste if necessary.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the dumplings. Mash the potatoes and blend in the flour, butter, eggs and salt.

3. On a floured board, knead the dough until it is smooth and divide into six pieces to form round patties.

4. Next brown the pork and onion in the butter and season with salt and pepper.

5. Place a tablespoon of the filling in the center of each round of dough and carefully fold them into dumplings making certain that they are well sealed.

6. Drop the dumplings, one at a time into the gently boiling soup and continue cooking for about 20 minutes until the dumplings rise to the top and float on the surface.

7. Finally, mix the sour cream with the egg yolk in the bottom of a large soup tureen and add a ladle of hot soup. Add the dumplings and then pour in the rest of the hot soup.

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Serving Suggestions:

This is a hearty soup and it can be eaten as the main course with some fresh baked bread or rolls.

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