Sterc is a simple and cheap dish, it can also be called the poor man’s Kaiserschmarrn. Nowadays sterc is rarely on the menu, it’s cooked mainly in the Transdanubian regions of Hungary.

Sterc is made from toasted flour combined with water and lard. Its color ranges from beige to brown depending on how long you toast the flour. It’s usually eaten with sour cream and fried bacon, however it can also be served as a dessert with powdered sugar and fruit jam.

Ingredients:

• 300 g (~2 1/3 cups) flour
• 500 ml (~2 1/5 cups) water
• 1 medium potato
• 80 g (~1/3 cup) lard
• 1/2 tsp salt

Peel the potato and cut into tiny cubes. Cook them in 500 ml / 2 1/5 cups of water until the dices start falling apart. Turn off the heat, leave the potatoes in the water and mash them.

Meanwhile in a dry deep skillet toast flour over medium low heat. Stir constantly for 4-5 minutes if you want a mild flavour and pale color, or for 7-8 minutes until flour becomes light brown and smells nutty.

While you are toasting the flour, in a small saucepan heat up the lard, then set aside.

Once the flour is done, add salt, and pour in the potato liquid and stir to combine. Then stir in the hot lard, so sterc becomes crumbly.

You can serve sterc salty with sour cream and fried bacon, or with powdered sugar and apricot jam.