The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach – as the saying goes. The recipe’s name legényfogó, that means ‘Catch the guy’, refers to the legend, according to which if a mother wanted to win over her daughter’s boyfriend, she would make this hearty soup for him. Legényfogó leves contains everything, that is needed for a good soup: meat, liver and a considerable amount of vegetables from mushroom to root vegetables.
Ingredients:
- 800 g (~1 3/4 lbs) chicken thigh fillets, chopped
- 200 g (~7 oz) chicken liver, chopped
- 2 tbsp lard
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 400 g (~14 oz) mushrooms, sliced
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 200 g (~7 oz) carrots, chopped
- 120 g (~4 1/4 oz) parsley roots, chopped
- 50 g (~1 3/4 oz) celeriac, chopped
- 200 g (~7 oz) green peas
- 2 liters (~8 1/2 cups) stock
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp dried tarragon
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 3-4 heaping tbsp sour cream
- 2 level tbsp flour
- 1-2 tbsp finely chopped parsley leaves
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Heat lard in a pot, add chopped liver and fry for 1-2 minutes to create a crust. With a slotted spoon remove liver from the pot, and add chopped chicken thigh fillets. Sear until the meat gets some nice golden brown colour. Stir in finely chopped onions and garlic, and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Add bay leaves and sliced mushrooms, and stir-fry for further 2-3 minutes. Add chopped root vegetables (carrot, parsley and celeriac) and green peas, season with salt, pepper, basil and tarragon. Pour in stock, bring it to a boil and over medium-low heat cook until tender.
In a small bowl whisk together sour cream, flour and 50 ml (~1/4 cup) of water. Add some hot soup to the mixture, then pour the thickening into the soup while stirring constantly. Also add finely chopped parsley leaves and the chicken liver to the soup, and cook for 4-5 minutes. Turn off the heat and flavour the soup with lemon juice.
