Not-so-Secret Family Recipe: Chicken Paprikash
Chicken Paprikash is a traditional Hungarian dish that I adored as a child. My paternal grandmother used to make it and my mother quickly picked up the tradition. Upon my request, my mother whipped up a batch for our October engagement party. It was a big hit among the guests and I was inspired to be the next in line to perfect the Paprikash. In these last few months, I have acquired the recipe from my mother and begun recreating our family favorite. The problem is that, as close as I come to recreating those amazing flavors–I still feel that there’s something amiss.
Ingredients (all measurements approximate):
- 2 lbs. chicken
- pint sour cream
- 2/3 c. Hungarian paprika
- chicken bouillon paste
- 2 medium onions, diced
- cup flour
- salt and pepper, to taste
- egg noodles
- two tablespoons butter
First I dice the onions to the size of my thumbnail. It looks like a ton of onion, and it is–but it just simmers away for hours with the chicken until the pieces are almost imperceptible. In a good sized stew pot, I will saute the onions until nearly translucent in two tablespoons of butter, and two pinches of salt. This usually takes about five minutes on medium-high heat, stirring frequently.
Once the onions are ready, I begin to slowly add the paprika. The mixture will become pasty and gooey, so I make sure to turn down the heat a bit and really let the flavors of the onion, butter, salt and paprika meld together.
Next, I take my chicken pieces and begin piling them on top of the paprika paste mixture. (The chicken should be bone-in and, if possible, leave a little skin on. I know this is difficult for some people, but the more of the chicken you simmer in that pot–the more amazing flavors will be present in the end. And don’t worry–I remove all of the bones and skin before the finished product hits the dinner table. My mom uses a combination of breasts and legs. I usually just use a family pack of legs.) Once all of the chicken is in the pot–I will add water until it is just barely covering the chicken. The level is usually an inch from the top of the pot. I go ahead and return heat to medium-high until the broth begins to boil. Then I immediately turn down to a simmer, leaving the pot uncovered.
After two to three hours, the chicken is tender and nearly falling off the bone (I make sure not to overcook, because then chicken becomes mash-y and mealy in texture). It is time to turn off the heat and let the mixture cool to lukewarm.
Then I remove all chicken and parts from the stew, separating the sections I want to keep from the ones I do not. I get rid of bones and skin, but my mom leaves all of her pieces intact. This is a greasy, messy job–but it goes pretty quickly.
At this point I have a pot full of beautiful reddish brown broth. And the kitchen starts to smell amazing. In order to create the right flavor, I will alternate adding tablespoons of chicken bouillon and tasting the broth until I am satisfied with the saltiness. I use a tub of bouillon from the soup aisle; it is creamy and powdery. The final measurement is somewhere in the vicinity of 1/2 cup. Lastly, I carefully add a tiny bit more of the bouillon than is necessary–I don’t want the sour cream (added subsequently) to dilute the strength of flavor.
In another large bowl, I begin blending approximately 2/3 pint of sour cream with a cup of flour. Once the ingredients are completely blended, I start adding ladlefuls of my chicken broth, whisking continuously. After 3 or 4 large ladles of broth are mixed into the sour cream and flour bowl, I empty entire contents into the main stew pot. I continue whisking the mixture of broth, flour and sour cream until the Paprikash is creamy, reddish pink, and having the consistency of a bisque.
Finally I add my saved chicken to the pot and simmer on low heat for another hour. Do not boil.
I serve finished product atop noodles in a bowl.
Although the dish is labor intensive, it requires very few ingredients. At first I tried to add my own special touches of herbs, garlic, skinless chicken…and it never turned out the way I was expecting. I have learned that the more I adhere to the official family recipe, the better my dish tastes. As much as I see myself as a cooking innovator, it seems that a tried and true family recipe should be respected for its longevity, and not second guessed.
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