Lecsó is the Hungarian alternative for the French ratatouille. It’s versatile, easy and very delicious! Thanks to DNB Restaurant, we are able to share with you how to make it from scratch.
Ingredients
pre-made lecsó stock
5-6 cherry tomatoes
half-half bell pepper (green, yellow, red)
1 Hungarian paprika
2 tomatoes
1 shallot
2 cloves garlic
harissa butter
smoked paprika
salt
black pepper
whole cumin
breaded egg
chives
Directions
First, make the lecsó stock. On sunflower oil, fry diced onion, garlic, and 1-2 minutes later put in the bell pepper and tomato too. Hint with smoked paprika powder, add the cumin, and season with salt and black pepper. Pour vegetable stock or water on it. Bring it to a boil, leave it on for a couple of minutes on high flame. Finally, get it off the stove, add the raw, chopped paprika and tomatoes, and let it cool. It’s best to leave it in the fridge for a night. Sieve it the next day, and use as much as you desire when cooking your lecsó the next day.
In a hot pan, fry the shallots on oil, then add the three colored bell peppers and the Hungarian paprika that you previously cut into triangular pieces. Heat them together over a medium flame for a few minutes, and then add the cherry tomatoes. Pour as much lecsó stock into the bowl as needed, and thicken it with the harissa butter. Season with salt and black pepper.
Boil the eggs for 4-5 minutes, let them cool in icy water. Breaded in flour, egg, and panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) fry them in the deep fryer on 180 °C until golden brown, then serve on the lecsó, garnished with chives.
Wine
A ripe, full, flavorsome merlot with red berry notes is the perfect wine to pair DNB’s lecsó with.
Because of its greatness and simplicity, lecsó is the dream dish of beginner kitchen fairies and restaurant-goers alike. Visit the following Budapest restaurants and get inspired!
DNB Budapest
From the spectacular view, to the contemporary ambience and outstanding food and wine offers, DNB Budapest is a perfect location to taste the well-known Hungarian lecsó with a moderate twist. DNB Budapest’s team believes the best meals are made of fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. Actively engaging with the local food culture, they craft honest, modern Hungarian cuisine for the curious. Nature’s ordinary made DNB Budapest extraordinary. Hop into the cool and classy restaurant on a warm summer day, relax inside the air-conditioned building while admiring the exceptional panorama, and sip a glass of wine. Don’t forget to taste the chef’s special, pretty-as-a-picture lecsó served with breaded egg, artisan sourdough bread and shallots.
1052 Budapest, Duna korzó
Lakatos Műhely
Stylist Márk Lakatos, whose grandparents were restaurateurs themselves, has already proven that his fashion game is on point. He also scores high when it comes to gastronomic endeavours: his pride and joy, Lakatos Műhely specializes in gourmet sausages, but there’s much more to it than that. The tiny food booth (or gastropub, as Márk calls it) offers light pork, pheasant and venison sausages, which come in paprika, leek, orange and oregano, and blue cheese flavours. Beyond sausages, Lakatos Műhely awaits you with traditional dishes like roasted chicken leg with new potatoes, as well as divine Hungarian lecsó. It’s so good you’ll beg for the recipe! In July, every weekly menu will feature pork lecsó, to find out more, follow them on Facebook.
1054 Budapest, Hold utca 13.
Lecsó Hungarian Restaurant
Just a few minutes away from Margaret Island and the Hungarian Parliament, Lecsó Hungarian Restaurant is located in Szent István körút. During lunchtime, hungry tourists and local visitors find themselves in front of a self-service buffet counter, but after 7 PM they can order individual Hungarian dishes from the menu. Being true to its name, lecsó, or as the French call it ratatouille, is an essential item on the list of the restaurant’s food offers, among a dozen other, authentic Hungarian meals. Before you set foot in the building, let us warn you: it’s going to be a challenge trying to choose from the more than 100 mouth-watering delicacies. Thanks to Lecsó’s versatility, it’s impossible not to find something your taste buds would adore.
1137 Budapest, Szent István körút 10.
Gettó Gulyás
Found in the centre of Budapest’s Jewish District, homely Gettó Gulyás offers a straightforward selection of classic Hungarian dishes, with its menu focusing on the heartier, meaty side of Magyar cooking. You’ll find a colourful variety of pörkölt (stew) here, but it’s also possible to satisfy your hunger with Hungarian lecsó (it is made solely with vegetables, but on request, they will serve it for you with eggs, sausage, or both). If you long for a genuinely Hungarian dining experience crowned with a heavenly dessert (Funzine’s hint: try their amazing Gundel crepes), say no more, just head to Wesselényi utca’s cozy eatery, Gettó Gulyás, where you’ll find everything a typical Hungarian meal consists of. Daily lunch menus are also available.
1077 Budapest, Wesselényi utca 18.
Náncsi Néni Vendéglője
Situated in the Buda Hills high above the city, Náncsi Néni Vendéglője is an ideal spot for meeting your caloric intake before or after a day spent walking around the historic neighbourhood. Being furnished like your grandmother’s house in the countryside and offering a wide range of dishes from the cookbook of Hungary’s traditional gastronomy, Náncsi Néni is the perfect place for an uplifting outing – both in the physical and the culinary sense. Talking about the latter, their Hungarian lecsó, which they portion out and serve in glazed metal bowls, is to die for! The red and white checkered tablecloths also add to the charm. If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city for a couple of hours, pay Náncsi Néni a visit!
1029 Budapest, Ördögárok út 80.