Chicken Paprikash By Annie Copps

Not being of Hungarian descent, I can't vouch for the authenticity of this chicken paprikash recipe—but I do stand by it's wonderful, deep and rich flavor.

Paprika, a powder made from dried peppers is the star spice here—I tend to use a hot variety, but you can find it smoked, very spicy, and even on the sweeter side. Also, I used chicken thighs, as I find them the most flavorful cut, they are pretty forgiving when you cook them and as a bonus, they are reasonably inexpensive.

Quick overview
Start by browning lightly-floured chicken thighs, then adding onions, garlic, Hungarian peppers (they are slightly spicy and can be substituted with a mix of green pepper and jalapenos), some chopped tomatoes, and a good dose of the paprika. Let it simmer for a half hour or so then whisk in sour cream. Serve it with buttered noodles or simple rice. Oh yeah, you're going to love this one.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients
6 chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)
kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
About ½ cup flour
Vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 Hungarian peppers (substitute with 2 bell peppers and 1 jalapeno), roughly chopped
4 plum tomatoes, peeled, cored, seeded, and chopped
2 tablespoons paprika
1 1⁄2 cups low sodium chicken stock
3⁄4 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Cooked rice or dumplings
Garnish: roughly chopped parsley

Directions
Place flour,1 tablespoon of salt and a few teaspoons pepper into a large plastic bag; add chicken toss well to coat with flour.

In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add a thin layer of oil, brown chicken well, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd pan—cook in batches, if necessary. Remove to a plate.

Lower heat to medium-low, add onions and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, peppers, and paprika cook stirring often, about 5 minutes. Return chicken to the pan with any juices. Add stock and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook 15 minutes, turn the chicken. Cook another 12 to 15 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.

In a medium bowl, whisk together sour cream and 1 cup of sauce from pot. Stir sour cream mixture into sauce in pot.

Serve with rice or dumplings. Garnish with chopped parsley.

(Courtesy: Yankee Magazine)

___________________________________________________________
Annie B. Copps is a senior editor at Yankee Magazine. Annie oversees the magazine's food coverage, both as an editor and as a contributor of feature stories and columns.

LISTEN & MORE RECIPES