Pensieri di un lunatico minore

Chicken Paprikás

Often mangled into “chicken paprikash”, chicken paprikás is a Hungarian goulash, and as such it is perfect for these cold winter months. Tonight, I couldn’t help but make one to fortify myself for the rest of the winter.

Here’s the recipe I’ve used, and hopefully it will be of interest to others. Please make sure that your paprika is of a high quality. If you open it and it doesn’t smell so much like ground peppers, but instead sawdust, throw it out and find something fresh. Please stick to Hungarian paprika though, as the Californian varieties are dreadfully dull.

This should be made in a heavy Dutch oven. I use an 8 quart Le Creuset model, which while not inexpensive is indestructible and will last a lifetime.

2 Tbsp		vegetable oil
8		bone in chicken thighs (approx. 3 pounds), trimmed
1		large onion, sliced thinly in half moons
1		medium carrot, julienned
1		celery stalk, diced
1		green bell pepper, julienned
1		red bell pepper, julienned
4 Tbsp		sweet Hungarian paprika
1/4 tsp		marjoram, dried
1 Tbsp		flour
1/2 C		chicken stock (or water)
14.5 oz		diced tomatoes, drained of fluid
1/3 C		crème fraîche (or sour cream)

1. Preheat oven to 300F. Position a rack in the bottom 3rd of the oven.
2. Pat dry and sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until almost smoking.
4. Add 4 chicken thighs, skin side down, and cook for approximately 5 minutes or until crispy and well browned. Flip and cook another 5 minutes.
5. Pull the chicken and place on a plate to rest and add the remaining chicken to the Dutch oven.
6. When finished, remove all by 2Tbsp of fat from the pan. Remove the skin from the chicken if you wish.
7. Cook onion, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until softened.
8. Add red and green peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are browned and peppers are softened.
10. Add 3 tablespoon of paprika, flour and marjoram and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant.
11. Add stock, scraping pot bottom with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits.
12. Add tomatoes and about 1 teaspoon salt, and return the chicken and accumulated juices, submerging them in vegetables.
13. Bring to a simmer, then cover and place pot in oven.
14. Cook until chicken is 170F, about 30 minutes.
15. Remove from oven.
16. Combine crème fraîche and remaining tablespoon of paprika in small bowl, then stir back into sauce in pot.
17. Spoon enriched sauce and peppers over chicken, and serve over egg noodles.