proper ethnic name for a hungarian dish?

[zenzin]

My mother in law makes a Hungarian dish that her mother, who was born in Hungary (or was it Austria?) that used potatoes, flour and salt. The mixture was scorched in the pan, allowed to cool, then chopped up and fried in butter until golden brown. She calls this dish polenta, but in the states, polenta is a corn meal based dish. No one here has heard of this, and we were wondering if perhaps there was a different ethnic name for this. Would anyone know?

 

[flame]

ok,the closes thing that I got to what you are asking for is this thing called RIVELS or TARHONYA;and I'll give you the recipe,because this one sounds alittle diffrent then what you mentioned,but I think it may be the same.Take 2 cups flour>2eggs>1/2 teaspoon salt....Mix all ingredients into a ball. Add a few drops of water,if necessary to form a stiff dough. Grate on medium side of a grater....Flour grated RIVELS and rub between palms. Spread on flour cloth until ready to use. HOW TO COOK RIVELS; ........HEAT 4 TABLESPOONS SHORTNING,ADD RIVELS AND FRY TILL GOLDEN BROWN,STIRRING CONSTANTLY. ADD 1/2 TEASPOON PAPRIKA(hungarian sweet)>1/2 TEASPOON SALT AND 4 CUPS CHICKEN BROTH. Cover and cook on low heat until thick and RIVELS are soft,About 1/2 hour.......Hope this works. Now the only other thing that comes to mind is this thing called "GRISZLE(might be spelled incorrect)and it is made with Farina(cream of Wheat,regular,not quick or instant) and you fry that with a small amout of shortning till cooked through,It's usually serve with a jam on top. :P

 

[Claire]

I don't know how to spell it, but the slovenes call polenta something like zkanze. Historically, corn is a new world food, as are potatoes. Polenta, Italian or otherwise, would have been made out of some other grain (barley, my husband the historian says). Virtually all immigrants used what was most readily available in their new environment with their old methods. I've even seen potato kimchee!

 

[wasabi woman]

there is definitely a Hugarian Polenta...

http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definition/english/Po/Polenta.html

here's a quote concerning the cultural history of the area in the 1700's

"Meat was rarely part of meals for the working class, although it was enjoyed regularly by the upper class. Families often ate a peasant soup of onions and cabbage, sometimes mixed with bacon and cream; or polenta, a dish made of cornmeal served with a sauce and vegetables. Farmers carried to the fields a lunch of cold sliced polenta and cheese and a goatskin of wine or whiskey. Polenta was a filling dish, but lacking in nutrients; many died from a deficiency disease called pellagra."

also found a couple of recipes that allow potatoes as a substitution for cornmeal; nothing quite like your recipe though.

Hope this helps!

 

[Claire]

Didn't mean to imply it wasn't polenta wasn't made with cornmeal! When I say historically, I mean pre-discovery, befeore Europeans came to America. Just using it as an example of the fact that polenta can, theoretically, be made of anything that can be made to resemble what now is corn meal mush. My mother in law definitely used cornmeal (the aforementioned zkanze in Slovene; she was of Slovak background, have no idea what she called it (zkanze was her husband's word for it). She would sometimes serve it in a bowl, like a heavy cereal, form and chill it overnight then slice and fry it, etc. My husband loves the stuff however you make it.