Chef Revives Dynamic Hungarian Cooking

I have known George Lang for many years and have heard him described as an imaginative restaurateur and charming and dynamic man, but it wasn’t until my first trip to Budapest to work in the kitchens of Lang’s renowned restaurants, Gundel and Bagolyvar, that I thought to ask him how he would describe himself.

I was twice rewarded. First, Lang provided a quote from his friend, the late philosopher, Lin Yu Tang, who described Lang in one simple sentence: “Lang is a poet of the possible.” The second, provided by Lang himself, revealed another characteristic: “When I pray to God at night,” smiled Lang, “I say, ‘Please, God, give me what I want. But give it to me NOW!”’

In a mere six months, with splendid coordination, effort and significant funds, Lang succeeded in restoring the splendor of Gundel, one of Eastern European’s finest restaurants, which had fallen into disrepair during the years of political upheaval.

The adjoining Bagolyvar (Owl’s Castle), a restaurant staffed entirely by women, is based on “mother’s home cooking.” Many of the recipes used are from old Hungarian cookbooks. Jenifer Lang, George’s wife, contributed the idea of cutting a window into the wall of the kitchen so that guests could see for themselves that truly only women work inside.

The two restaurants are separate universes, and although I felt welcome in both, I must admit that I was most drawn to Bagolyvar. Though the women chefs spoke no English, they invitingly drew me in with wordless maternal warmth by handing me tastes of what they were cooking. Something in the way it was offered made me feel at home and touched my heart. The bold, full flavors of the Slavic food also stirred childhood memories.

But what was most endearing was the pastry chef’s handwritten recipe book, which she took out of a drawer to show me. It was a child’s school notebook with a poodle on the cover. It was a book she never opened or referred to when making the desserts, because she cooked each dish entirely by heart.

Here is my own personal favorite version of the Hungarian national dish, Chicken Paprikash. In creating this recipe, I imagined the pure, intense flavors of chicken, onion, tangy cream and paprika in perfect balance, but lighter and less saucy than usual. The solution turned out to be replacing all of the sour cream with just a little creme fraiche, which does not separate on cooking, making it possible to concentrate and intensify the sauce and even to prepare the dish ahead and reheat it.

Chicken Paprikash

1 (3-1/2-pound) chicken

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 large onion, chopped (1-2/3 cups)

1 tablespoon sweet paprika (preferably Hungarian)

1 cup low-sodium chicken stock

1/3 cup creme fraiche (see note)

8 ounces fresh spinach noodles or 12 ounces dried, optional

Rinse chicken under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut chicken into pieces, separating all the joints, breast and back sections into halves. Sprinkle with salt. Set aside 30 minutes.

Heat oil and butter in heavy 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. When sizzling, add chicken pieces, without crowding, and brown well, turning them on all sides and removing pieces as they are browned. Set aside.

Drain off all but 2 tablespoons oil. Add onion and paprika and saute, stirring often, until onion has softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in stock. Add browned chicken and drippings. Cover and simmer until chicken breasts are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove breasts and wings and continue cooking dark meat until done, about 10 minutes. Remove dark meat.

Increase heat to medium and cook until broth is reduced by about 1/3, stirring often. Stir in creme fraiche. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, to reduce liquid further, 3 to 5 minutes, or until thickened and bubbly. Return chicken to pan and simmer, covered, 5 minutes longer.

Cook in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain.

Arrange chicken on serving platter. Skim and discard any fat from top of sauce. Spoon small amount of sauce onto chicken and pass rest in gravy boat to pour over noodles.

Yield: 4 servings.

Note: Creme fraiche should be prepared at least 1 day or up to 3 weeks in advance. Combine 1/3 cup whipping cream (preferably not ultrapasteurized, as ultra-pasteurized cream may take as long as 36 hours) with 1 teaspoon buttermilk in a jar with tight-fitting lid. Place in warm area and allow to stand undisturbed 12 to 14 hours or until thickened but still pourable. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.