Körözött

Ingredients

Spread

• 400 gsheep’s curd cheese, or a firm well-drained quark
• 100 gunsalted butter, soft
• 2 tbspsweet Hungarian paprika
• 1small onion, chopped very fine
• 1 tspcaraway seed, crushed
• 1 tspmustard, Hungarian or Dijon
• 2 tbspsour cream
• 1 tbspchopped chives
• 2anchovy fillets, mashed, optional
• salt and black pepper

To serve

• dark rye or fresh white bread
• raw onion rings
• green peppers

Directions

1. Press the curd cheese through a sieve if it is at all lumpy. Körözött should be completely smooth and this is the only way to get there.
2. Beat the soft butter until pale and light, then work in the sieved curd a little at a time. Beating the butter first is what makes the spread airy rather than dense.
3. Work in the paprika, chopped onion, crushed caraway, mustard, sour cream and the anchovy if using, and beat until evenly coloured a soft orange.
4. Fold in the chives and season with salt and pepper.
5. Cover and chill for at least two hours. The paprika needs that time to bleed its colour and flavour through the butter, and körözött eaten straight away tastes of raw onion and little else.
6. Take it out 20 minutes before serving so it is spreadable.
7. Serve heaped in a bowl with bread, raw onion rings and green peppers.

Technique

• Use real Hungarian paprika. It is sweeter and far more aromatic than generic paprika, and it is most of the flavour here.
• Beat the butter first, then add the cheese. Doing it the other way round gives a heavy paste.
• The two hours of chilling is not optional — it is when the spread actually becomes körözött.

Substitutions

• Feta mashed with cream cheese in place of sheep’s curd, which is closer than quark alone.
• Skip the anchovy for the more common Hungarian version; it appears mainly in the Austrian Liptauer.

Variations

• Liptauer, the Austrian and Slovak version, usually includes capers and mustard more prominently.
• Piped into hollowed green peppers as a starter.

History

Known abroad as Liptauer, after the Liptov region; Hungarian pubs serve it with bread and raw onion.

Frequently asked questions

What is Körözött?

Körözött is a cheese & dairy from Hungary: sheep-curd spread whipped with paprika, onion and caraway. Known abroad as Liptauer, after the Liptov region; Hungarian pubs serve it with bread and raw onion.

How long does Körözött take to make?

Körözött takes 15 min plus 2 hours chilling of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Körözött?

Yes, within limits. Feta mashed with cream cheese in place of sheep’s curd, which is closer than quark alone. Skip the anchovy for the more common Hungarian version; it appears mainly in the Austrian Liptauer.

What is the most important thing to get right in Körözött?

Press the curd cheese through a sieve if it is at all lumpy. Körözött should be completely smooth and this is the only way to get there.