Lecsó

How to Cook Lecsó

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1. Heat the oil in a wide heavy pan over medium heat and cook the onions 10 minutes, stirring, until soft, sweet and just golden.

   Mark done

2. Take the pan off the heat completely and stir in both paprikas. The residual heat blooms them without burning — this is the one step that decides whether the dish is sweet or bitter.

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3. Return to a low heat, add the peppers, and stir to coat.

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4. Add the tomatoes, salt, sugar, black pepper and bay leaves.

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5. Cover and cook gently for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

   Mark done Start 25 min timer

6. Uncover and cook a further 15 minutes, until the peppers have collapsed completely and the liquid has reduced to a thick, glossy sauce that holds a channel behind the spoon.

   Mark done

7. Fish out the bay leaves and taste for salt and sugar; ripe tomatoes need less of the second.

   Mark done

Related guide: Ingredient substitutions.

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Keep an Eye on These

1. Paprika off the heat. Burnt paprika cannot be rescued and you will taste it in every mouthful.
2. Good Hungarian paprika is worth buying for this; the supermarket tin of "paprika" is usually mild to the point of pointless.
3. For a heartier version, add sliced smoked sausage with the peppers, though it is no longer vegan.

What to Serve It With

Crusty bread · A fried egg on top · Cold lager

Leftovers

Refrigerated for 5 days and better on day two. Freezes for 3 months.

The Numbers per Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.

Vegan when made with neutral oil rather than lard. Vegetarian when made with neutral oil rather than lard.