Chicken Paprikash

 

I know that there are as many recipes for this dish as there are days of the year.  But I love this one, also taught to me by Adrienn, and what I love about it is its simplicity.  With just a few ingredients and steps, it is such a classic and homey meal, that I turn to it time and time again.  Every single time I make this dish, I wonder why I don’t make it more often.

That sauce.  It is just spectacular.  I could eat it on its own with a spoon, it’s that good.  Generally, when I have leftovers, I dice up the chicken and then toss the remaining sauce with some pasta or rice.  But not last night.  I made this for a friend of mine who came to dinner, and he was so excited that I had made the chicken for him again.  I had one of the thighs, and he finished off everything else.  My daughter didn’t even have any….not because she doesn’t like it, she just got her braces put in, poor thing.  He also polished off the barley that I had made to go with it, because I don’t have the thing-a-majiggy to make fresh Spaetzle and it is near impossible to find the ready-made kind here.

This is a perfect weeknight meal, you probably have everything in your pantry to make this dish.  So why not try it next week?

Here’s what you’re going to need:

Serves 3-6

3 chicken legs, cut into drumsticks and thighs

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

6 tbsp vegetable oil, I used olive

2 large onions, finely diced

1 heaping tbsp sweet paprika

Water

1/4 cup sour cream

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, and toss with the flour to coat.  Shake off excess.  In a large frying pan, heat up the oil over medium high heat.   When the oil is very hot, place the chicken skin side down and cook, until it is golden brown and crispy.  Turn and cook until the other side is golden and crispy.  Set aside.

 

In the same pan, add your onion, lower the heat to medium low.  Cook for about 5 minutes, and add some more salt and the paprika.  Cook the onions about 15 minutes, until totally softened and starting to caramelize.

 

Add the chicken, and add enough water to cover the chicken up to 3/4.  Raise the heat to high, bring to a boil, and then lower the heat and let it simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.  If the water is evaporating too quickly, add a little bit more.  You want to have a thick sauce, not too watery but not just the onions and the remaining oil.  When the chicken is cooked through, turn off the heat and add the sour cream, mixing well.  Serve immediately with Spaetzle, wide egg noodles, rice, barley, or any type of grain that you like the best!

From my kitchen to yours,

Carla