Dish of Green Bean Paprikas
(click to enlarge)

Green Bean Paprikas


Hungary   -   Balatoni Zöldbab Paprika
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 6 side
***
1-1/4 hrs
Note-3		 Green beans as you have never known them. A hearty side dish for hungry Hungarians, it can easily serve as a vegetable main dish in our "information culture".

1-1/2
1/3
1/4
5
1
1/3
1
1
1
1
1/2
#
c
t
oz
T
c
t
t
T
c
c
Green Beans
Rice
Salt
Onion
Parsley
Lard or Oil (1)  
Paprika
Salt
Vinegar
Water
Sour Cream

If you really need it ol vegetarian, use avocado oil in place of lard - it's the richest of the oils. For my modifications see Note-2 and Note-3 for an optional method.

Prep:   -   (25 min)
  1. Cook RICE in lightly salted water to cover for just 10 minutes to partially cook it. Drain and set aside.
  2. Tip and tail BEANS. Cut into 1 inch lengths.
  3. Chop ONION fine.
  4. Chop PARSLEY small.
  5. Let Sour Cream come to room temperature in a wide bowl.
Run   -   (45 min)
  1. In a sauté pan heat Lard and fry Onions until translucent.
  2. Stir in Beans, Parsley, Paprika and Salt. Fry stirring constantly for 3 minutes
  3. Stir in Vinegar and Water. Cover and simmer slowly for about 25 minutes.
  4. Stir in Rice and simmer until it is finished cooking - Caution: you'll probably need to add water here, so watch it carefully.
  5. Stir about 1/4 cup of the Bean mix into the Sour Cream, Then stir all the Sour Cream into the pan until well distributed. Simmer for 2 minutes more and serve.
NOTES:

  1. Lard:

      Lard is the frying medium of Hungary - Hungarians use almost no oil. The American Heart Association so villainized lard for so long Americans are afraid to use it, but it's not nearly as dangerous as the trans fats they told you to use instead. It has a better health profile than butter, and is now increasingly used by top chefs. For details see our Lard page. If you still don't want to use it, use Pure Olive Oil (not virgin), or, better, Avocado oil.

  2. Method:

      I have cut the amount of lard from 1/2 cup in the pattern recipe to 1/3 cup, though it could probably go to 1/4 cup easily. More seriously, I have drastically reduced the simmering time from 45 minutes to 25 minutes. The European propensity to cook vegetables to death is offensive to California culinary culture. There is hope though, even the worst offenders, the Germans and English, are starting to learn better.

  3. Alternate:

      By the given method, the rice pretty much breaks up and becomes part of the sauce. If that's not the effect you want, cook the rice completely your usual way and stir it in with the Sour Cream. This can also be a "do-ahead" strategy.
  4. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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