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Creamy potato stew in a rich sauce, garnished with fresh parsley
Creamy potato stew with tender potato cubes in a silky sauce.

Creamy Hungarian Potato Stew (Főzelék)

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Main Courses

Főzelék is one of Hungarian cuisine's most brilliant inventions: a cross between a soup and a side dish. The thick, creamy consistency comes from the starch gelatinizing. In this recipe, the roux (flour browned in fat) not only thickens but adds toasted flavors, which are harmonized by the acidity of the sour cream.

🕒 Prep Time 10 mins
🍳 Cook Time 25 mins
⌛ Total Time 35 mins
🍽️ Servings 5 servings
🔥 Calories 320 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Hungarian

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Pot for cooking
  • Small skillet for the roux
  • Whisk for lump-free mixing

Allergen Information

⚠️ Wheat
⚠️ Milk

Instructions

1 ✓

Peel and wash the potatoes, then cut them into 3/4-inch cubes.

Tip: Uniform size ensures every piece cooks at the same time.
2 ✓

Place in the pot and pour in just enough water to cover. Add salt and the bay leaf, then cook covered until tender (approx. 15-20 minutes).

Tip: Bay leaf essential oils dissolve best in steam. Don't overcook the potatoes; keep them firm enough to bite.
3 ✓

Prepare the roux: heat the oil in the small skillet and add the flour. Stir constantly and toast until it turns the color of a bread roll and smells nutty.

Tip: Toasting the flour (dextrinization) gives the characteristic flavor. If too pale, the dish will taste like raw flour.
4 ✓

Remove the roux from heat, stir in the paprika, then immediately pour in roughly 1 cup of cold water and whisk until smooth.

Tip: The shock of cold water prevents clumping. The paprika must not burn, or it will turn bitter.
5 ✓

Pour the roux into the boiling potatoes and simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened.

Tip: The starch swells at this point and binds the water.
6 ✓

Mix the sour cream with a ladle of hot cooking liquid (tempering), then pour it back into the pot. Bring to a boil once, and it's done.

Tip: If you pour cold sour cream into the hot dish, it may curdle. Tempering avoids this.

Recipe FAQ

The roux became lumpy, what should I do?
Strain the stew through a sieve, or blend it with an immersion blender (careful not to mash the potatoes completely!).
It became too thin at the end.
Take out a ladle of liquid, mix in a teaspoon of cornstarch, and pour it back in.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs Russet Potatoes
  • 3/4 cup Sour Cream
  • 2 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 tbsp Oil or Lard (for the roux)
  • 1 leaf Bay Leaf
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Hungarian Paprika
  • 1 splash Water (enough to cover)