1966 WDEC - Eggs Hongroise

Eggs Hongroise have a sauce dominated by paprika. (photo by Courtney)

Moving up another letter in the Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery to "E." I chose not to make Eclairs; much though I love them, they are very complex to make and I'm fortunate enough to live near a bakery that makes extremely good pastry. "Eel" would be a logical thing to try, but the two northern European recipes provided paired them with onions and celery and white sauce, and I think I'd rather try something with a cleaner and more interesting sauce than that. So this brings me to "Egg" and "How to Cook Supeerbly: Eggs and Omelets." The article writer, Helen Evans Brown, is especially fond of the omelet, "a cook's best friend...quick, inexpensive, versatile, and impressive...elegant enough to serve to your fanciest friends and nutritious enough for a family meal."

I've decided to make one recipe of each egg style, and the first section is devoted to hard cooked eggs. While there are several ideas for stuffed eggs and a couple of summer salad molds, I was in the mood for something warm for a cold day. Paprika is what makes these eggs "Hongriose" - in the Hungarian style. Recipe after the jump.

Eggs Hongriose
(to serve 4)
1 small onion, minced
6 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
2 Tbsp paprika
1-1/2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken bouillon
Salt and pepper
6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
Hot buttered toast points

Cook onion in the butter for 5 minutes. Blend in flour and paprika. Gradually add liquids and cook, stirring, until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add eggs, and heat. Serve on toast.

Cooking Notes: I scaled this down to 2 eggs for a small lunch dish for two. With no cream on hand, I used 1/2 cup half-and-half plus a 1/4 cup of bouillon for the liquid.  We omitted the toast and just ate the hot sauced eggs as is. The predominant taste in the sauce is of paprika, and good, fresh spice consequently is a requirement.

Eating Notes: Another in the WDEC list of fine comfort foods. The eggs cool very quickly and should be eaten right away. The flavor is fine at room temperature, sort of like a deviled egg that's heavy on the paprika, but the texture and overall comfort food level are much better with the dish nice and hot.