Chicken Paprikash (Hungarian Paprikás Csirke)

hungarian-paprikascsirke Paprikás csirke is one of the most classic and beloved Hungarian dishes. Named for the large amount of paprika that goes into the sauce, the paprikás method can also be applied to veal, mushrooms, or fish. In fact, according to George Lang in The Cuisine of Hungary, it is one of the four pillars of Hungarian cooking (the others are gulyás, pörkölt, and tokány). "The chief difference between pörkölt and paprikás is that paprikás is usually finished with sweet or sour cream, sometimes mixed with a little flour, but always stirred in just before serving," writes Lang. "You may never use cream of any kind for gulyás or pörkölt. Also, beef, mutton, game, goose, duck,and pork are most popular for pörkölt; veal and chicken for paprikás." Paprikás csirke is a staple of home-cooking and at étkezdes (lunch-rooms), yet it is an elegant dish (but much simpler to prepare than its thick, complex, flavourful sauce suggests). Since it requires so few ingredients, use the best quality chicken and sweet Hungarian paprika that you can find. In Hungary, this dish is usually eaten with galuska (spaetzle) and a cucumber salad in a sweet and sour dressing is a perfect match to the peppery sauce. But you can also serve it with creamy polenta or boiled potatoes sprinkled with parsley. The best type of pot to use is a cast-iron casserole, but any pot with a tight fitting lid will do. Cooking the chicken with the skin intact greatly benefits the flavour, so if you prefer your chicken skinless, keep it on during the cooking process and then remove it before serving.

2 Tbsp. pork lard
3 lbs chicken pieces, bone-in and skin-on
2 medium yellow onions, very finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeds removed and very finely diced
1 Hungarian bell pepper, diced
3-4 Tbsp. imported sweet Hungarian paprika
2 cups chicken broth
1½ tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, unbleached
¾ cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
¼ cup heavy whipping cream

Heat the lard in a heavy pot and brown the chicken on all sides. Transfer the chicken to a plate. In the same oil, add the onions and fry until golden brown. Add the garlic and tomatoes (and pepper if using) and fry another 2-3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the paprika, salt and pepper (paprika becomes bitter if scorched).

Return the chicken to the pot and place it back over the heat. Pour in the chicken broth. The chicken should be mostly covered. Bring it to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 40 minutes. Remove the chicken and transfer to a plate.

In a small bowl, stir the flour into the sour cream/cream mixture to form a smooth paste. Stir the cream mixture into the sauce, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring it to a simmer for a couple of minutes until the sauce is thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. Return the chicken to the sauce and simmer to heat through.

Serve the Chicken Paprikash with Hungarian nokedli.

Makes 6 servings.

Cook's Notes:

Pork Lard: Lard is traditionally used and we strongly recommend it for the best flavour.
Hungarian Paprika: Use a good quality, genuine imported sweet Hungarian paprika for authenticity and the best flavour.
Chicken: Chicken pieces with bone-in and skin-on is traditional and recommended because it creates the most flavour.
Sour Cream: The sour cream should be at room temperature to avoid lumps; be sure to also use full fat.
Nokedli: Nokedli is a pasta which is like German Spaetzle only they’re very short and stubby. You can make nokedli with a spätzle scraper using this recipe for the dough.