So I'm thinking about chicken paprikas and a chopped salad, but first, a trip to my twin food meccas, Publix and BJ's warehouse. In a perfect world, I could go shopping at the Farmer's Market near Decatur, Georgia, but this is anything but a perfect world. Hey, I just thought about those peaches I picked up at Lane Orchard. Peach cake. Wait for it ...
Having placed some tasty leftovers in the freezer, it occurred to me that it is time for a "Clear the Freezer" party. A quick inventory revealed Brunswick Stew, Meatballs, Baked Ziti, Burritos, Mousstitsio, Baked Chicken, Fried Chicken, uncooked but perpetually marinating barbecue chicken, Chicken Ratatouille, Barbecue Cups, Little Calzones, and a number of UFOs (unidentified frozen objects) which I believe to be two or three different soups.
First and foremost, the chicken. The Hungarian name for this recipe is Csirke Paprikas (cheer-ke pah-pree-kahsh), and it is not a dish my mother ever prepared. Hungarian food in general was a mystery to me until I met my husband, who is Hungarian on his mother's side. My mother in law is 100% Hungarian, as was her mother, and their cooking reflected that background. Happily I have garnered a number of their recipes, such as kraut sveckle and kale kraut, and got into the habit of using only Hungarian sweet paprika in my cooking. Robert remembers his Grandma taking him to Paprikas Weiss on the Upper East Side, when he was a very young child. As a young married couple we went there as well, stocking up on paprika, kasha, tarhonya, and other Hungarian delicacies. After we moved from New York we continued to mail order, until one day, Paprikas Weiss closed it's doors. This left me bereft of paprika, except for a small amount my mother in law brought me back from Hungary, which I have been hording. Having found Nirvana near Atlanta, I picked up a nice quantity of Hungarian paprika at the Farmer's Market just last week, which has left me with Csirke Paprikas on My Mind. Maybe I can get Willie Nelson to sing the lyrics, as Elvis has not only left the building, but this plane of existence. Rest in peace, King.
Here's the funny part, though ... Mom (my mother in law Jeanne) never made the csirke paprikas either. My introduction to this dish came from a cookbook Robert bought me when we were first married, The Hungarian Cookbook by Susan Derecskey. Although I have slightly altered the cooking method over the years, it still remains as she described it, "the ultimate Hungarian chicken dish." Mrs. Derecskey strongly recommends serving this dish with galuska (soft dumplings) and a cucumber salad. Galuska are not difficult to make, although you may end up feeling like Chef Anne Burrell making fresh pasta during an episode of "Iron Chef", but it is time-consuming. If you serve this with egg noodles or packaged gnocchi or even mashed potatoes, I promise not to snitch on you. My preference is to make buttered egg noodles mixed with green peas and poppy seeds. I plan on making a chopped salad to go with this, and it will have some cucumber, radish, onion, and a sharp vinaigrette to cut through the richness of the dish.
Csirke Paprikas (Hungarian Chicken Paprikash)
6-8 pieces bone-in chicken pieces (I prefer the thighs for this)
Salt and pepper, and some Emeril's Essence
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika or more to taste
1 cup chicken stock
1 green bell pepper (or equivalent amount of mixed colors), cut into strips
1 can stewed tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper and set aside. Heat the oil and butter together in a large deep frying pan. Lightly brown the chicken on both sides, and then remove and set aside. Add the onions to the pan and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a pinch of white or brown sugar, if you like. Cook the onions until translucent, then use a large metal spoon to remove the excess oil in the pan. Sprinkle the cooked onions with the paprika and cook until the paprika loses it's "raw" smell. Do not let the paprika burn or darken too much or it will become bitter. Pour in the chicken stock and stir, scraping up the tasty bits on the bottom of the pan. Taste the sauce and season if needed. Place the chicken, cooked side up, into the pan, and pour back any accumulated juices Place the green pepper strips and tomatoes on top of the chicken, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir the sauce and turn the chicken over; cover and simmer another 15 minutes, or until the chicken is done. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Temper the sour cream by stirring in several tablespoons of the warm cooking sauce. Slowly pour the sour cream mixture into the pan and stir to incorporate into the sauce. Just before serving, reheat the csirke paprikas very carefully over low heat. If the sauce is thin, remove about a half a cup of the sauce and mix with some Wondra flour to make a loose paste consistency. Pour this back into the simmering sauce and stir until sauce thickens a bit.
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