This classic Hungarian dish employs paprika liberally, but it does not overpower the dish, because the spiciness is tempered by the sour cream. This is good over buttered noodles or rice or with bread.Other cuts of meat you can use here: cutlets or chunks of pork, chicken, or turkey.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

　　12 thin slices veal from the leg (scaloppine)

　　1 cup sour cream

　　1/2 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade (page 160)

　　3 tablespoons corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil

　　1/2 cup flour

　　1 onion, sliced

　　1 tablespoon hot paprika, plus a sprinkling for garnish

　　Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish, optional

　　

Step 1

Lightly sprinkle salt, pepper, and the lemon juice over the veal; let sit while you prepare the other ingredients. Whisk together the sour cream and stock.

　　

Step 2

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dip a piece of the veal into the flour and slide into the skillet; repeat until the skillet is full but not crowded. Fry until nicely browned on both sides, just a minute or two on each, adjusting the heat so that the meat browns quickly and nicely but does not burn; remove each piece from the skillet as it finishes cooking.

　　

Step 3

When all the meat is cooked, sauté the onion in the same skillet until softened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the paprika over the onion and return the meat to the pan. When the meat is warm again, pour in the sour cream–stock mixture and heat through, being careful not to let the sauce boil. Sprinkle with a little paprika, garnish with parsley if you like, and serve.

　　

Veal with Garlic

Step 4

In step 3, add 1 tablespoon minced garlic along with the onion.

　　

Veal with Capers

Step 5

In step 3, add 2 tablespoons drained capers along with the sour cream–stock mixture.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.