Chicken paprikash has been my favorite home-cooked meal since I was little. I thought the recipe had some great family history, but my mom actually adapted it from a recipe she found in The New York Times — go figure. This iteration of the recipe, however, is the result of a hundred family dinners; her handing the recipe down to me; and all the changes I have made over the years. I have served this dish with the chicken removed from the bone and carefully garnished, in restaurants. I have used it family-style for home dinner parties, and I’ve made it just because I love it. It can be made in a slow-cooker (takes about 6 hours on low heat). Paprikash has Hungarian roots and is just great comfort food.
Ingredients
- 3 chicken legs, separated into thighs and drumsticks
- 1 tbsp. butter or oil
- 1 medium onion, split and sliced thinly
- 1 large green or poblano pepper, chopped
- 1 oz. smoked paprika (also called hot paprika)
- 1-plus cup chicken stock
- 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 4 oz. sour cream or crème fraîche
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Heat the oil or butter in a Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Sear until browned. Remove the chicken and reserve. Sauté the onion and pepper in chicken drippings until browned. Add paprika and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds while stirring constantly). Add the chicken stock and then return chicken to pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce to soft simmer. Cook about an hour, until the chicken is very tender. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Whisk the flour into sour cream. Add some liquid from the pan to the sour cream to temper. Slowly mix the sour cream into the pot — do not boil! Simmer briefly to allow sauce to thicken and serve over egg noodles. Serves four to six.
