Lecsó

Both are vegetable stews, but they're quite different in character. Lecsó is a Hungarian dish where bell pepper is the star — always cooked with smoked bacon or Hungarian sausage (kolbász), which gives it a deep, smoky richness. Ratatouille is a French Provençal dish with eggplant, zucchini and peppers in equal measure, seasoned with thyme and oregano — no smoked meat, no paprika. Lecsó is typically eaten as a main with bread or eggs; ratatouille is usually served as a side to meat. The paprika — both sweet and hot — is what makes lecsó unmistakably Hungarian.

Yes, vegetarian lecsó works well. Replace the bacon with a teaspoon of smoked paprika plus a generous pour of olive oil at the start — this gives you the smoky base without the meat. A splash of soy sauce (about a teaspoon) adds back the umami depth. Some people add a small piece of smoked cheese stirred in at the very end, or smoked tofu cut into cubes and fried separately first. The result is lighter than the original but the sweet pepper and tomato combination is satisfying on its own. Just don't skip the smoked paprika — it's doing the heavy lifting.

It matters a lot. Traditional Hungarian lecsó uses Hungarian wax peppers (also called banana peppers) — pale yellow, thin-walled, sweet and mild. They're the reason authentic lecsó has a particular sweetness and tenderness. If you can't find them, use a mix of red and yellow bell peppers for colour and sweetness; avoid purely green peppers — they add bitterness and the flavour doesn't develop the same way. Adding one or two mild red chillies gives the genuine warmth that Hungarians expect without overwhelming heat. The ratio of pepper to tomato should be roughly 2:1 — if it tips toward tomato, it becomes more of a sauce than a lecsó.

Peppers and tomatoes release a lot of liquid during cooking, and that's the main culprit. The fix is several things done together: cook without a lid over medium-high heat so the steam escapes; start by frying the onion and bacon until properly golden before the peppers go in — a caramelised base absorbs less liquid; add the tomatoes last once the peppers have softened and started to colour slightly. If it's still thin, stir in one to two tablespoons of tomato paste and simmer uncovered for another 10–15 minutes. Also avoid cutting peppers too small — larger chunks hold their shape and release water more slowly. The finished lecsó should coat a spoon, not run off it.

In Hungary, lecsó is most often served as a main dish over thick slices of white bread to soak up the sauce — simple and deeply satisfying. A very common variation is tojásos lecsó: two or three eggs cracked directly into the hot lecsó at the end, stirred gently until just set. This makes it a complete meal for breakfast or a light dinner. As a side dish, lecsó goes perfectly with grilled pork sausages, kolbász, or pan-fried pork chops — the acidity of the tomatoes cuts through the fat beautifully. Cold leftover lecsó makes an excellent spread on bread or a sauce for cold meats. It keeps well in the fridge for 3–4 days and the flavour improves overnight.