of onions and had to start over. I was working from a clipped recipe and should have gone to the magazine because it was explained that the onions need to get a lot of color and that the paprika and onion mix will be very dark. Even then, I could never cook them 6 minutes on high on my stove!
However, the flavor was worth it. My husband, who is usually complimentary, really raved over it and when I told him he'd already said that several times, he replied that he wanted to make sure I'd make it again. It is a keeper.
So, if you try it, watch the onions carefully and don't panic when the paprika and onion mixture gets VERY dark while browning the chicken. The trick of stirring flour into the sour cream to keep it from curdling worked great, even with the reduced-fat sour cream.
I used almost all sweet paprika with a little less than a teaspoon of half-sharp (Penzeys brand).
We had tiny new potatoes with butter and parsley, peas and the accompanying cucumber salad which was so-so in our opinion.
Chicken Paprikas
1 cup homemade or low-salt canned chicken stock
3 Tbs. oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 Tbs. sweet paprika
1 3-lb. chicken, cut into four pieces, or 2-1/2 lb. chicken pieces (thighs work nicely)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped or 3 canned seeded, chopped tomatoes
1 Tbs. flour
1/2 cup sour cream
Put the stock in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and reduce by half to concentrate the flavor.
Heat the oil in a deep skillet or sauté pan large enough to hold the chicken pieces snugly. Add the onion; cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until deep golden brown, 6 to 8 min. It should be well colored but not burned. Reduce the heat slightly, add the paprika, and stir for a few minutes to develop the flavor.
Season the chicken pieces well with salt and pepper and add them to the pan, skin side down. Brown them well over medium high, about 7 min. on each side. Add the reduced stock and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat to low, cover the pan, and let it simmer about 15 min. Add the green pepper and tomato (and a little water if the pan seems dry -- Hungarians would say the chicken should almost fry instead of "swim," so don't add too much stock). Replace the lid and simmer until the chicken is very tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 min. longer, turning the pieces once during cooking.
Transfer the chicken pieces to a dish and keep them warm while you finish the sauce. Spoon off as much grease as you can. Bring the sauce to a boil and boil for a few minutes to concentrate the flavors even more. Stir the flour into the sour cream with a fork or whisk and then whisk this into the sauce. Simmer for about 4 min. to cook away any floury taste and to bring the flavors together; taste and adjust the salt and pepper if necessary. Return the chicken pieces to the pan to reheat and coat them with the sauce.
Serve with boiled potatoes, rice, or the Hungarian accompaniment, which would be galushka, tiny egg noodles or dumplings that are similar to spaetzle.
Cucumber Salad
2 medium cucumbers, peeled and sliced very thin
1 Tbs. kosher salt
1/2 small Vidalia or other sweet onion or 1 small yellow onion, sliced very thin
4 tsp. red-wine vinegar
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
Freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbs. snipped fresh dill
Put the cucumbers in a colander and sprinkle with about 1-1/2 tsp. of the salt, tossing to distribute evenly. Put the onion in a small bowl and sprinkle with the remaining 1-1/2 tsp. salt, adding about 1 tsp. of the vinegar as well -- the salt and vinegar will mellow the bite of the raw onion. Let the vegetables stand for at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes and then rinse them in cool water and gently squeeze out excess moisture, blotting with paper towels if necessary.
Mix the cucumbers and onions. Add the oil, the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar and a good grind of fresh pepper. Taste and add more vinegar if you like. Toss well with the dill. Chill for at least 30 minutes and serve chilled as a condiment-type salad with the chicken.
However, the flavor was worth it. My husband, who is usually complimentary, really raved over it and when I told him he'd already said that several times, he replied that he wanted to make sure I'd make it again. It is a keeper.
So, if you try it, watch the onions carefully and don't panic when the paprika and onion mixture gets VERY dark while browning the chicken. The trick of stirring flour into the sour cream to keep it from curdling worked great, even with the reduced-fat sour cream.
I used almost all sweet paprika with a little less than a teaspoon of half-sharp (Penzeys brand).
We had tiny new potatoes with butter and parsley, peas and the accompanying cucumber salad which was so-so in our opinion.
Chicken Paprikas
1 cup homemade or low-salt canned chicken stock
3 Tbs. oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 Tbs. sweet paprika
1 3-lb. chicken, cut into four pieces, or 2-1/2 lb. chicken pieces (thighs work nicely)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped or 3 canned seeded, chopped tomatoes
1 Tbs. flour
1/2 cup sour cream
Put the stock in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and reduce by half to concentrate the flavor.
Heat the oil in a deep skillet or sauté pan large enough to hold the chicken pieces snugly. Add the onion; cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until deep golden brown, 6 to 8 min. It should be well colored but not burned. Reduce the heat slightly, add the paprika, and stir for a few minutes to develop the flavor.
Season the chicken pieces well with salt and pepper and add them to the pan, skin side down. Brown them well over medium high, about 7 min. on each side. Add the reduced stock and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat to low, cover the pan, and let it simmer about 15 min. Add the green pepper and tomato (and a little water if the pan seems dry -- Hungarians would say the chicken should almost fry instead of "swim," so don't add too much stock). Replace the lid and simmer until the chicken is very tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 min. longer, turning the pieces once during cooking.
Transfer the chicken pieces to a dish and keep them warm while you finish the sauce. Spoon off as much grease as you can. Bring the sauce to a boil and boil for a few minutes to concentrate the flavors even more. Stir the flour into the sour cream with a fork or whisk and then whisk this into the sauce. Simmer for about 4 min. to cook away any floury taste and to bring the flavors together; taste and adjust the salt and pepper if necessary. Return the chicken pieces to the pan to reheat and coat them with the sauce.
Serve with boiled potatoes, rice, or the Hungarian accompaniment, which would be galushka, tiny egg noodles or dumplings that are similar to spaetzle.
Cucumber Salad
2 medium cucumbers, peeled and sliced very thin
1 Tbs. kosher salt
1/2 small Vidalia or other sweet onion or 1 small yellow onion, sliced very thin
4 tsp. red-wine vinegar
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
Freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbs. snipped fresh dill
Put the cucumbers in a colander and sprinkle with about 1-1/2 tsp. of the salt, tossing to distribute evenly. Put the onion in a small bowl and sprinkle with the remaining 1-1/2 tsp. salt, adding about 1 tsp. of the vinegar as well -- the salt and vinegar will mellow the bite of the raw onion. Let the vegetables stand for at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes and then rinse them in cool water and gently squeeze out excess moisture, blotting with paper towels if necessary.
Mix the cucumbers and onions. Add the oil, the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar and a good grind of fresh pepper. Taste and add more vinegar if you like. Toss well with the dill. Chill for at least 30 minutes and serve chilled as a condiment-type salad with the chicken.