Szegedy

One of my husband’s Slovakian family staples is szegedy goulash, a creamy kraut goulash made with smoked meats. Someday maybe I’ll post a recipe for that, when I’ve got the family cred to make a decent one. But I found that you can make a good, quick side dish using similar flavors. We ate it alongside fresh sausage from Dittmers’ in Mountain View. Cabbage is so good for you that the humble vegetable deserves frequent eating.

1/2 a small green cabbage or 1/4 of a larger one, cored and shredded

1 medium onion or leek, trimmed and thinly sliced

2 tbsp oil

1/2 cup white wine or broth (ham broth would be good if you have it)

dash of caraway seeds- a little goes a long way

2 tsp Hungarian paprika; salt and black pepper to taste

1 tbsp butter

2-3 tbsp sour cream

Warm the oil in a large saute’ pan over medium-low heat, add onions or leeks and fry gently until glassy. Add caraway seeds and Hungarian paprika and stir another minute. Turn the heat up to medium and add shredded cabbage, stir a bit to wake it up, then pour in wine or broth. Season with a little salt and black pepper. Cover and let the cabbage cook til tender, stirring occasionally and adding more liquid if necessary. I like the cabbage to still have some tooth and to not get stinky, about 10 minutes cooking time. Before serving, stir in butter and sour cream and warm it through- the cabbage will get a nice glossy look and some flavor without being too gloppy. Adjust for seasonings and serve warm.

If you don’t like the taste of caraway seeds or are making a more French or Italian meal, you could definitely take this in a different direction. Substitute a pinch of dried tarragon for the caraway seeds and Hungarian paprika, for instance, or skip both and stir in chopped fresh parsley with the sour cream. You could also substitute heavy cream for sour cream.