Chicken Paprikash
Hungarian chicken stew: chicken thighs and drumsticks braised in paprika, onion and tomato, finished with sour cream into a rust-orange sauce. Served over buttered egg noodles or spätzle. Lighter than goulash; equally Hungarian.
Overview
Onions are softened slowly with sweet paprika, tomato joins, then chicken thighs braise in the sauce until tender. Sour cream is stirred in off the heat for the velvety finish. Served over buttered egg noodles, with extra paprika sprinkled on top.
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks (or 1 kg of either)
- 3 tablespoons lard (or vegetable oil)
- 2 onions (finely chopped)
- 4 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 3 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon Hungarian hot paprika (optional)
- 2 tablespoons tomato purée
- 1 red pepper (chopped)
- 400 ml chicken stock
- 200 ml soured cream (full fat)
- 2 tablespoons plain flour (for stirring through the soured cream)
- salt
- pepper
- A small bunch of flat-leaf parsley (chopped, to finish)
To serve
- 400 g egg noodles (or spätzle)
- 50 g unsalted butter
Method
Stage 1 - Brown
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Heat the lard in a heavy casserole over medium-high heat.
- Brown the chicken pieces all over for 6-8 minutes. Set aside.
Stage 2 - Onions and paprika
- Cook the onions in the same pan over medium heat for 10-12 minutes until soft and starting to caramelise.
- Add the garlic; cook 1 minute.
- Take the pan OFF the heat. Stir in both paprikas; mix for 30 seconds.
- Return to heat.
- Stir in the tomato purée; cook 1 minute.
Stage 3 - Braise
- Add the red pepper.
- Return the chicken; pour in the stock.
- Bring to a simmer; cover and cook 30 minutes until the chicken is tender.
Stage 4 - Soured cream finish
- Lift the chicken out; keep warm.
- Whisk the flour into the soured cream in a small bowl (this stabilises it; otherwise it splits in the hot sauce).
- Whisk a ladle of hot sauce into the soured cream mixture (tempers it), then pour back into the pan, stirring continuously.
- Heat through gently; do not boil.
- Return the chicken to coat.
Stage 5 - Serve
- Cook the egg noodles in salted water until al dente; toss with butter.
- Plate the noodles; ladle the chicken and sauce over.
- Scatter parsley; finish with another pinch of paprika for colour.
Notes
- Off-the-heat paprika: Same as goulash. Burnt paprika is bitter; protect it by adding off the heat.
- Flour stabilises the soured cream: Without it, the cream curdles when it meets the hot acidic sauce.
- Don't boil after the soured cream: It splits. Heat just to warm through.
Storage
- Keeps 3 days refrigerated. Reheat gently without boiling.
- The soured cream sauce can split on freezing; if you want to freeze, do so before adding the cream and add fresh on reheating.
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