A couple of weeks ago we shared our quick and easy recipe for making a favorite Czech snack or pub food, Topinky or Czech Fried Bread with Garlic. Today we are taking that wonderfully delicious fried bread and adding a topping to it. This dish goes by many names, it is known as Cikánské topinky (Gypsy toasts), Ďábelské topinky (Devil’s toasts) or Bratislavské topinky (Bratislava toasts). It’s a definitive blend of tomatoes, peppers and onions; sometimes with meat, sometimes with egg. It’s hot and spicy and warms you from the inside out.
We make all three at once and usually start out like this:
This topping has endless variations and a few different names so I am sure some of you know these recipes by different names. That’s fine… Whatever you call these – they are delicious!
When making this you want to create a nicely cooked topping for your topinky, or fried bread (recipe here).
Heat your fat and then add the onions and cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes. If you are also adding the ground meat, add it and cook until the meat is browned, about 15 minutes. Then add the tomatoes and peppers and spices. Turn up the heat a bit and stir often. Add tomato paste or water if necessary – you don’t want it to stick to the pan. If not using meat, then add the peppers, tomatoes and spices and cook until the peppers feel soft, about 10 minutes. If making the gypsy version, add the eggs and scramble in the last few minutes of cooking to bet them as cooked as you like.
Call me ambitious but I make all 3 at once.
A big batch because everyone loves them.
I cut the veggies a bit differently so each has a different texture as well as flavor.
And please don’t forget the paprika! It is the KEY INGREDIENT in this recipe.
The Hungarian Paprika below is best and you can buy it here.
Meanwhile, prepare your topinky in another pan. Ideally, the fried bread will be hot and freshly rubbed with garlic right when you are ready to add your topping.
Pile the hot goodness onto the spicy topinky and serve right away. It should be eaten hot. Some people also grate a nice hard cheese (like Emmentaler or Guyere) on top as well just before serving and ideally, the cheese melts onto the spicy pepper mixture before you seat yourself at the table.
Delicious!
Now I know my recipe is not exact, but please keep in mind that this was a folk peasant dish and a gypsy dish. Ingredients were what was on hand, coming from the garden and maybe even found along the side of the road.
Ďábelské topinky (Devil’s toasts)
In the devil’s version, it’s hot, spicy and fiery. Lots of paprika. Hotter peppers. Can you imagine with habaneros? Why not? Spice it up – you only live once!
- 2 Tbsp sadlo, lard, fat, oil or butter (fat is best)
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 red, 1 yellow and 1 orange pepper, de-seeded and sliced
- 12 sweet grape tomatoes (or 3 ripe roma tomatoes), chopped
- 1 tsp – 1 Tbsp Hungarian Paprika (sweet or hot – your choice)
- 1-2 fresh red (hot) chili peppers (if you like it hot)
- 1 Sliced sausage (Polish sausage works)
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste (if you like it more tomatoey)
- 1 tsp sugar if you like it sweeter
- salt and pepper to taste
Cikánské topinky (Gypsy toasts)
In the gypsy version, an egg is also mixed in as you are cooking the peppers and onions (near the end because the egg only needs a minute or two to cook). The gypsy version is most like Classic Czech Lečo on friend bread.
- 2 Tbsp sadlo, lard, fat, oil or butter (fat is best)
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 red, 1 yellow and 1 orange pepper, de-seeded and sliced
- 12 sweet grape tomatoes (or 3 ripe roma tomatoes), chopped
- 1 tsp – 1 Tbsp Hungarian Paprika (sweet or hot – your choice)
- 1-2 fresh red (hot) chili peppers (if you like it hot)
- 2-6 eggs (depends on how eggy you like it)
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste (if you like it more tomatoey)
- 1 tsp sugar if you like it sweeter
- salt and pepper to taste
Bratislavské topinky (Bratislava toasts)
In the Bratislava version, meat is used and it can be cooked ground meat.
- 2 Tbsp sadlo, lard, fat, oil or butter (fat is best)
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 red, 1 yellow and 1 orange pepper, de-seeded and sliced
- 12 sweet grape tomatoes (or 3 ripe roma tomatoes), chopped
- 1 tsp – 1 Tbsp Hungarian Paprika (sweet or hot – your choice)
- 1-2 fresh red (hot) chili peppers (if you like it hot)
- 1/2 pound ground meat. We used organic grass fed beef.
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste (if you like it more tomatoey)
- 1 tsp sugar if you like it sweeter
- salt and pepper to taste
You can cheat by making our recipe for Classic Czech Lečo along with our recipe for Topinky or Czech Fried Bread with Garlic and putting the Lečo on the bread and voila! You’ve got something close to this dish.
Whichever version you choose – you will love it, and the smell of the peppers and onions cooking. Divine!
I put it all on one huge platter.
That way, everyone can stack whatever they want on their topinky.
My son loves to mix and match and combine.
Having this food paired with good Czech beer – you’ll feel like you’re in a Czech pub wherever you are.
Seriously – You make this on game day for the men in the man cave, you will be the new favorite hostess and they will never think about chicken wings or chips and dip again.
They’ll enjoy this and actually forget about the superbowl! ;)
Remember, you can also add some cheese and broil it for a moment.
That takes it to whole other level…
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