Lecsó

When Walter was growing up his mother made lecsó, a typical Hungarian dish made of tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions - essentially a tomato, pepper, and onion stew - to which she would add Magyar Lecsó Kolbász - a Hungarian smoked and cooked garlic sausage, which I am able to order from The Hungarian Meat Market in Fairfield, Connecticut. I do this once a year so I have enough sausage in the freezer to make this hearty dish during the cold months of winter. Judging from the ingredients - peppers and tomatoes - I don't think that in Hungary this is actually a cold weather dish, but it just seems right as the golden season of fall arrives, and the first mornings of frost appear, to eat this dish.

I use high-quality canned tomatoes and red bell peppers for this dish. There is no fresh garlic in the dish because the sausages are very garlicky on their own.

Lescó
Adapted from The Hungarian Cookbook by Susan Derecsksey

8 red bell peppers, sliced into strips about a half inch wide, not rings
1-1/2 large yellow onions, chopped
Olive oil
2 to 3 tablespoons sweet HUNGARIAN paprika
3 (three) 400g cans of tomatoes, either Italian DOP or Cento Cherry Tomatoes, put through a food mill 
2 links of Magyar Lesco Kolbász, cut into 2 cm slices
Full fat sour cream, for serving

I use my 6-quart All Clad "stockpot" here because it is wide rather than deep and makes it easy to cook the onions and peppers.

Cover the bottom of your pan with olive oil, about 1/4 inch. Add the chopped onions and sauté slowly without letting them brown. Add the sliced peppers and stir to coat with the olive oil and onion. Next add the paprika, starting with 2 tablespoons, and stir. You want to use a low heat here because you want the paprika to bloom, not burn. Then add the third tablespoon of paprika and cook for a few more minutes, 3 to 4 is good. 

Add the tomatoes and a little salt. Partially cover the pan, and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure the heat is not so high the bottom will scorch. After 30 minutes, add the sliced sausage and cook for another 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top, rice and cucumber salad.  Green beans lightly tossed with olive oil and salt go well with it too if you would also like a vegetable.