Hungarian Style Potatoes (Magyar Burgonya)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 Hungarian sausage (kolbász) or smoked sausage, sliced
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Method

1. 1

   Melt the lard in a 6-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 8 minutes.

   8:00 · Cook onion
2. 2

   Stir in the garlic and green bell pepper and cook until the pepper softens slightly, about 3 minutes.

   3:00 · Cook pepper
3. 3

   Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the paprika and caraway seeds, coating the vegetables evenly. Return to low heat and stir for 30 seconds to bloom the spices without scorching.

   0:30 · Bloom paprika
4. 4

   Add the sliced sausage and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes.

   4:00 · Brown sausage
5. 5

   Add the potatoes, chicken stock, tomato paste, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine, making sure the liquid mostly covers the potatoes.

6. 6

   Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are tender and the liquid has thickened slightly, about 25 minutes.

   25:00 · Simmer potatoes
7. 7

   Remove the bay leaf and taste the potatoes, adjusting salt and pepper as needed. If the liquid is too thin, simmer uncovered for a few more minutes to reduce.

   5:00 · Reduce liquid
8. 8

   Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.