Hortobágyi Palacsinta (Hungarian Savory Stuffed Crepes)

About This Recipe

Hortobágyi Palacsinta is a real, traditional Hungarian dish, known as Hungarian Savory Stuffed Crepes. Thin savory crepes filled with a paprika-braised chicken filling, topped with a creamy paprika sauce.\n\nHortobágyi palacsinta was created in the 1950s at a Hungarian tourism competition, named after the Hortobágy region famous for its cattle herders, and quickly became a celebrated example of modern Hungarian restaurant cuisine.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Hungarian home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 200 gall-purpose flour(for crepes)
• 3eggs(for crepes)
• 400 mlwhole milk(for crepes)
• 0.25 tspfine sea salt(for crepes)
• 2 tbspbutter(for the pan)
• 600 gbone-in chicken thighs
• 3 tbsplard or neutral oil
• 1yellow onion(diced)
• 2 tbspsweet Hungarian paprika
• 300 mlchicken stock
• 200 mlsour cream
• 2 tbspall-purpose flour(for the sauce)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the crepe batter

   Whisk flour, eggs, milk and salt into a smooth batter, then cook thin crepes in a lightly buttered pan, about 1 minute per side.

2. 2

   Braise the chicken

   In a separate pot, cook onion in lard until soft, remove from heat to add paprika, then return chicken thighs, stock, and simmer covered for 35 minutes until tender.

3. 3

   Shred the chicken

   Remove the chicken, shred the meat, and discard bones and skin.

4. 4

   Reduce the braise

   Simmer the braising liquid uncovered until reduced by half, then return the shredded chicken to it, making a thick filling.

5. 5

   Fill the crepes

   Spoon the chicken filling onto each crepe and roll tightly; arrange in a baking dish.

6. 6

   Make the sauce and finish

   Whisk sour cream with flour and a ladle of hot stock to temper, then pour over the filled crepes and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 15 minutes until warmed through and bubbling.

Variations

• •

  A mushroom version replaces chicken for a vegetarian take on the same technique.

• •

  Use veal instead of chicken for a richer, more traditional Hungarian restaurant-style version.

• •

  Top with a sprinkle of fresh dill or parsley before serving for color.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions