Hungarian Lecho

A classic summer stew of sweet peppers, ripe tomatoes, and onions, thickened with eggs and finished with fried sausage.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Hungarian

Keyword Hungarian lescó, lecho, letcho

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 245kcal

Wash 6 medium tomatoes and 4 sweet peppers. Halve the peppers, scoop out the seeds, and cut them into strips or wedges. Peel and finely chop 2 medium onions.
In a large pot, heat 1 Tablespoon lard over medium heat and fry the onions until they soften and just begin to turn golden.
Add the peppers and tomatoes. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper, stir, then lower the heat, cover, and stew for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice 7 ounces sausage into rounds and fry them in a little fat in a separate skillet until browned.
Take the pot off the heat. Crack in 4 eggs and stir until they thicken the stew. If needed, return to low heat for a few minutes, stirring, until thickened. Do not overcook the eggs.
Stir the fried sausage into the lecho and serve.

Peppers: Hungarian wax or banana peppers are traditional; bell peppers work but need a few extra minutes.
Eggs: added raw at the end. Stir them in off the heat so they thicken the stew without scrambling into firm curds.
No kitchen scale? Average piece weights: 1 medium onion ≈ 4 oz (110 g), 1 sweet pepper ≈ 5 oz (135 g), 1 medium tomato ≈ 5 oz (150 g).
Store: airtight in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. To freeze, freeze the plain stewed vegetables only, without eggs or sausage; the eggs turn grainy after thawing.
Stronger flavor: add a dash of chili to the vegetables while they stew.
Canning: to preserve in jars, leave out the eggs and sausage.