Hungarian wedding soup Recipe caffey - shallot

Method

• Saute shallot in a small amount of olive oil to soften (not brown), add garlic and saute a minute or two longer.
• Let cool in pan.
• Soften bread with milk, remove any hard crust and break up with fork.
• With a fork, mix together cooled shallot/onion mixture, softened bread, chopped herbs, salt, pepper, and paprika to taste.
• Mix egg with fork and add to mixture.
• Crumble pork ground on top of egg/shallot/break/herb mixture, and mix in with hands until just mixed.
• Form into about 18 small golf ball size meatballs and place on plate.
• let meatballs rest in fridge for about 20 minutes.
• Bring broth to simmer in a large diameter saute pan with tight-fitting lit (I use a straight sided 3 qt pan, about 9 or 10 inches in diameter).
• Add meatballs in single layer, separated, and bring to low simmer while covered.
• After 5-10 minutes, flip meatballs with two spoons.
• Continue a very low simmer (covered) another 10-15 minutes.
• Move meatballs to the perimeter of pan, and add orzo pasta and cabbage.
• cover and return to low simmer for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, crisp outside of red pepper on gas burner until blackened all around.
• You will need tongs- keep turning it until the entire pepper is blackened, the put in paper bag and close top for 10 minutes or so.
• After pepper has sweated for 10 minutes, remove from bag and remove blackened skin.
• You can do this with your fingertips, and you can also clean the peppers under running water.
• Half pepper, remove core/seeds, and cut in half.
• Cut into strips that will fit on your spoon.
• Mix red pepper into pan with meatball, orzo, and vegetables.
• All should be cooked by now, so just simmer together for a minute or two.
• Serve soup in wide shallow bowel with a dollop of sour cream in middle (optional) and a garnish of Hungarian paprika on top.