Chicken Paprikash

Hey ya’ll, Randy here, since Karen wouldn’t take credit for the last post I figured I would just come out and say it is me from the start on this one. Karen was a little under the weather this week so I figured I would help out and give this posting thing a try.  Plus Hungarian week was my suggestion so I figured it was only fair.

Hungarian Food is not as popular or well known as some foods, so I thought I would stick with more traditional dishes this week.  Chicken Paprikash is a very well-known dish throughout Hungary and probably every family has their own little twist on it.  This is mine!

Now I know many people (you know who you are, like my buddy CJ) look at paprika as a bland spice that is often used as a garnish.  Well let’s be real, often the paprika you find here in America is frequently over processed and mass produced causing much of the flavor to be lost.  But if you can find some good stuff, buy it up because the flavors you will find in it are really outstanding.  I had the chance to see this in person on my visit to Hungary and it is amazing how many different varieties you can find.  They mainly break it down into three categories: Spicy, Smoked and Mild.  The smoked flavor bring a rich flavor similar to a chipotle.  Some of the spicy ones can bring a good kick, similar to a cayenne pepper and then the mild is more frequently what you will find here in America.  For this dish I am going to go with a mixture of spicy and smoked. Karen will tell you I don’t shy away from spicy food so feel free to alter this to your preferred taste.

Traditionally this dish is made with chicken legs and thighs, often because it bring great flavor to the dish. But let’s be honest, Hungary is not the wealthiest country so they will look to use what they have access to.  In this case we are going to go with chicken breast to make it just a little more healthy.  Cube the chicken into medium size chunks (about a 1 ½ cube).  Remember the more surface area you can create on the chicken for that spice to stick to the more flavor you will have in each bite, just don’t go too small as you don’t want it all to break up during cooking.

In a medium deep cast iron or oven safe pan, sear the chicken in the olive oil and butter.  Once seared remove from the pan while keeping the remaining oil (and flavor in the pan)

Add the diced onion to the pan and sweat till they are translucent.  Add the garlic and allow that to gain a little color.

Add 3 tablespoons of all purpose flour and half of the paprika (in my case 1 tablespoon spicy and 1 tablespoon smoked paprika) to the pan and stir vigorously over medium heat for about 4 minutes to incorporate the flour and paprika into the onions and garlic. 

Take the remainder of the paprika (in my case 1 tablespoon spicy and 1 tablespoon smoked paprika) and toss the chicken in bowl to allow the paprika to coat the chicken.

Add the crushed tomatoes and broth into the pan and whisk until all of the flour has been absorbed and the sauce is smooth.  Now add the chicken back into the pan and place the pan in a pre-heated over set to 375.  Allow to cook for about 30 minutes, if you have more time go for it just keep an eye on your liquid.  The longer you leave it in the oven the more the flavors will concentrate. 

While this is cooking in the oven now is the time to make your egg noodles which are traditionally use or you can substitute rice.  Cook to your liking.  In this case we used medium size egg noodles with the yokes (you can only go healthy some of the time).

Take the pan out of the oven and allow to cool slightly.  Add your sour cream to the mixture while stirring continuously till it has been fully incorporated.

Place your noodles in your favorite bowl and spoon your chicken and sauce over the top.  Now if you are like me and you go big or you go home when you make a dish, no worries.  With Hungarian food, it only gets better the next day as those flavors continue to develop in the left overs.

Hope you enjoy a little taste of Hungary!

Chicken Paprikash

Serves 4

• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 to 2 pounds chicken breast
• 1 large Spanish onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons Paprika (2 tablespoons smoked and 2 tablespoons spicy)
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken broth
• ¾ cup sour cream
• 1 pound egg noodles
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375.

Melt butter and oil over medium to high heat in a cast iron or heavy pan.

Cube the chicken to 1 1/2 inches and then sear in a hot pan on all sides. Once all seared, remove chicken from pan and add in garlic and onions.

Stir and cook until translucent. Add in half the paprika and all of the flour and stir until incorporated.

Take remaining paprika and toss chicken cubes in it.

Add the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth to the pan and stir until all the ingredients are incorporated. Add the chicken back into the pan. Place pan into the oven to cook for 30 minutes.

In the mean time, cook your egg noodles and keep warm.

Once chicken has cooked for 30 minutes, pull out of the oven and stir in sour cream, until it is all incorporated.

Serve over egg noodles and enjoy!