Lecsó

Ingredients

• 2 lbpointed pepperdeseeded, cut into rings or strips
• 15¾ ozTomatoblanched, peeled, cut into wedges or cubes
• 3Onionfinely diced
• 2 tbspOilfor sautéing; lard as an alternative
• 1 tbspPaprika powderstir in off the heat
• Saltto taste
• Black pepperground, to taste
• 3½ ozsmoked bacondiced, rendered for its fat (optional)
• 7 ozPaprika sausagesliced, added towards the end (optional)
• 3Eggbeaten, stirred in at the end (optional)
• 2 clovesGarlicpressed, fried with the onion (optional)
• 1 tbsptomato pastebriefly fried along (optional)
• 1 tspsugarto balance the acidity (optional)

Method

1. Pour boiling water over the tomatoes, slip off the skins and cut them into wedges or cubes.
2. Wash the pointed peppers, remove the seeds and cut them into rings or strips, then peel the onions and dice them finely.
3. Heat the oil in a wide pot and sweat the onions over medium heat until translucent and golden. If you like, press in the garlic or fry a spoonful of tomato paste alongside for a minute.
4. Add the peppers and let them stew for about 10 minutes, until they have collapsed noticeably.
5. Pull the pot off the heat for a moment and stir in the sweet paprika powder so that it doesn't turn bitter.
6. Add the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and simmer everything over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the peppers are soft and the tomatoes have broken down.
7. Taste at the end — a teaspoon of sugar helps if the tomatoes are very sharp — and serve hot with fresh bread.

Tips and variations

Instead of oil you can use lard, or render diced smoked bacon and sweat the onions in the fat. Smoked sausage either goes into the pot with the onions or joins in for the last 10 minutes; for tojásos lecsó, stir beaten eggs in at the end and let them set. If you prefer it thicker, leave the lid off for the last 15 minutes; you can also bring the tomatoes to a boil with the paprika powder first and add the peppers afterwards. Hot paprika or cayenne brings heat, and it's just as good with no paprika powder at all, seasoned only with salt and pepper. To preserve it for winter, briefly stew just peppers and tomatoes without onion or seasoning, fill hot into sterilised jars and let them cool wrapped up; later, tip the contents over fried onion and season to finish. Serve lecsó with bread or baguette, or with rice.