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Hungarian-Style Shepherd’s Stew with Potatoes and Sausage

Hungarian-Style Shepherd’s Stew with Potatoes and Sausage

By Rose HattabaughJanuary 10, 2025

  • Makes
    6 servings
  • Cook Time
    1 hour
  • Rating

In Bokros, Hungary, home cook Erzsebet Buzder-Lantos taught us her favorite childhood dish, a hearty stew called keménytarhonya, also known as pásztortarhonya. The star ingredient is tarhonya, a pellet-like pasta. For our version, we use fregola, a type of Sardinian pasta, but pearl couscous is an easier-to-source alternative. Whichever you use, toast it until golden brown before simmering. This brings out the nutty, wheaty notes. As for the sausage, without easy-to-source Hungarian options, we use Cajun andouille, which has a spiciness and smokiness that pair well with the other flavors in the stew.

Tip

Don’t forget to cover the pot when cooking the pasta. If too much liquid evaporates, the stew will be overly thick and starchy.

Ingredients
  • ½

    cup drained roasted red peppers, patted dry

  • 2

    tablespoons tomato paste

  • 1

    tablespoon white vinegar

  • 1 ½

    tablespoons sweet paprika

  • ⅛-1/4

    teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 2

    tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil, divided

  • ½

    cup fregola or pearl couscous

  • 1

    large yellow onion, cut into ½-inch pieces

  • 1

    large banana pepper or cubanelle pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into ½-inch pieces

  • 8-12

    ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, cut into ½-inch chunks

  • 8

    ounces andouille sausage, quartered lengthwise and cut into ½-inch chunks

  • Chopped fresh dill, to serve

  • Sour cream, to serve

Step 1

In a blender, combine the roasted peppers, tomato paste, vinegar, paprika, cayenne and ¼ teaspoon salt. Puree, scraping the blender jar as needed, until smooth, about 30 seconds; set aside. (Alternatively, combine the ingredients in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.)

Step 2

In a Dutch oven over medium-high, combine 1 tablespoon of the oil and the fregola. Cook, stirring, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside. In the same pot over medium-high, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil until shimmering. Add the onion, banana pepper, potatoes and ½ teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are browned at the edges, 4 to 5 minutes.

Step 3

Add the pepper puree and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until the mixture begins to stick to the bottom of the pot, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in 2 cups water and simmer. Stir in the fregola, then cover, reduce to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until a paring knife inserted into the potatoes meets no resistance, 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 4

Stir in the sausage. Cook, uncovered and stirring, until heated through and thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and black pepper. Serve sprinkled with dill and with sour cream on the side.

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