Lecsó is the name of a Hungarian dish that is very easy to prepare and brings plenty of sunshine to your plate. It can also be perfectly preserved for the winter.
Written Letcho in English, this preparation has become part of Austrian cuisine and was very popular in the GDR, but hardly known in West Germany. If you go into a German supermarket today and find Letcho in a jar, you are probably in one of the five new federal states.
Very light-coloured, almost white pointed paprika grow in Hungary, which are rarely available here. However, the dish works with any type of bell pepper. Our local greengrocer has just returned from Italy and has brought back some wonderful vegetables, especially the delicious San Marzano tomatoes, so we are well equipped.
You hardly need more than peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic to prepare lecho. It is seasoned with salt, pepper and, above all, plenty of sweet paprika powder. However, we will expand this range of spices a little. In Hungary, they also like to add paprika sausage, lecsókolbász, but we are staying vegetarian and even vegan.
Basically, whatever tastes good is allowed. This applies above all to the mixing ratio. For texture, we recommend using slightly more tomatoes than peppers, but just like the amount of onions, garlic and spiciness, it’s all a matter of taste. The good thing is that you can always adjust the flavour of this dish and never go wrong.
We chop the onions and tomatoes rather roughly and finely chop the garlic and a chilli pepper (without seeds). We like a little spiciness, but that’s completely optional. We like to cut some of the peppers into finer strips and some into larger pieces for variety in texture. Tips on cutting technique can be found here.
In a high pot, the onions are sweat in a little oil (we use olive oil) for two minutes over a medium-high heat, then the peppers are added.
We sauté the peppers for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, without letting them take on any colour. Then we add the garlic (and chilli).
Everything is stirred well and cooked for a further 3 minutes, then the tomatoes are added to the pan and seasoned (as always, the quantities are given at the end of the recipe). As already mentioned, salt, pepper and paprika powder are essential. We also like to season with a little dried marjoram, as you sometimes encounter in Austria. We also enhance the natural flavour of the tomatoes with a little icing sugar and vinegar (we use balsamic vinegar), as you would with ketchup.
Again, everything is stirred well, the heat is reduced to medium and a lid is placed on the pan. From now on, you will need to stir less often, as the tomatoes release plenty of liquid and also partially dissolve, creating a fine sauce. After a further 20 – 30 minutes, the lecho is ready and can be seasoned to taste. The key here is to strike a balance between sweetness and acidity without overpowering the natural flavour of the peppers and tomatoes.
It can be enjoyed immediately. In Hungary, this is a main course and we also love it simply with some rice. However, it is also an excellent accompaniment to all kinds of dishes.
If you want to preserve lecho, here’s how:
Special, thick-walled jars with a rubber seal are best. However, you can also use screw-top jars from the supermarket that you have cleaned – they just need to be undamaged and close well. First boil the jars, lids and, if applicable, the rubber seals in water in a pot without a lid for 10 minutes to eliminate all germs. Alternatively, you can heat large jars (without rubber, of course) in the oven for 15 minutes at 130 degrees Celsius. After this, you should no longer touch the inside of the jars and lids with your hands.
Then the hot lecho is filled into the jars, almost to the brim. Leave the sealed jars to cool and place them in boiling water to a height of two thirds for another 20 minutes the following day – done.
The lecho will keep for up to a year, but we give it a maximum of 6 months and eat it in winter.
Enjoy.
And may the taste be with you.
Ingredients (we use a larger quantity for preserving):
2 – 3 medium-sized onions
800 g peppers of your choice (green peppers are less suitable)
3 – 4 cloves of garlic
1 fresh chilli without seeds (optional)
1,000 g tomatoes (different varieties are fine, just make sure they are very ripe)
2 – 3 tsp salt and pepper to taste
1.5 – 2 tbsp sweet paprika powder (we use smoked paprika powder or pimentón de la vera)
1 tbsp dried marjoram (optional)
About 1 tbsp each of icing sugar and vinegar (we use balsamic vinegar) – this is also optional
