Description:

The most popular Hungarian chicken dish. Good served over home-made egg dumplings or wide egg noodles.

Source:

Emily M.

Serves/Makes:4 or more

Ingredients

• 2 medium onions, peeled and minced
• 2 tbsp (30 ml). lard
• 1 3 lb (1.4 kg). chicken, disjointed, washed and patted dry
• 1 large ripe tomato, peeled and cut into pieces
• 1 tbsp (15 ml). (heaping) paprika (not hot)
• 1 tsp (5 ml). salt
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 2 tbsp (30 ml). sour cream
• 1 tbsp (15 ml). flour
• 2 tbsp (30 ml). heavy cream
• 1 package wide egg noodles, cooked

Preparation

• Use a 4 quarts (3775 ml) to 5 quarts (4725 ml) pot/dutch oven with a good fitting lid.
• Cook the onions in the lard, covered over a low heat for appox 5 minutes. The onions should look opaque, not brown.
• Add chicken and tomato, cook covered for about 10 minutes.
• Take pot off of heat/flame and stir in paprika. This is important so that the paprika dosen't burn.
• Add 1/2 cup (125 ml) water and salt then return to stove and cook, covered over a very low heat for approximately 30 minutes.
• At the start the water is for the steaming effect.
• At the end of the 30 minutes, remove the lid and let the liquid evaporate. Now let the chicken cook in its own juices and fat, watching closely so that it doesn't burn.
• Remove chicken pieces.
• In the pot with the remaining juices, mix in the sour cream, flour and 1 tsp (5 ml) cold water stirring until the sauce is very smooth and a consistant color.
• Add the green bell pepper to the sauce and return chicken to the pot add salt according to taste.
• Place lid back on pot and cook over a low heat until done.
• Cook noodles according to package directions.
• Just before serving, stir heavy cream into the Chicken Paprikas.
• Serve over cooked noodles.
• You may add an additional dolop of sour cream over the serving according to your tastes.
• (If you prefer, this dish can be served over home-made egg dumplings.)

Comments

This dish is not only popular in Hungary, but all over the world. My friends and I have an annual international potluck dinner in which everyone brings a dish that is from the country of their origin or ancestry. I happen to live in a community where we have a lot of Europeans (Croatians, Italians, Greeks, Hungarian, and on), and we never for lack of recipes. It is a lot of fun and the best part is the extravigant deserts. You should try to have your own International Nights!!!