This recipe was inspired by my friend Scottie Johnson from Chicago. We first met via The BBQ Forum on the Internet and realized we were almost neighbors. I wish you could see his adorable little girls. It was first created for deep-fried turkeys, but works just great in the BBQ for all poultry and it makes a great fish marinade too.
To celebrate the tasty wonderfulness that is chicken, I asked Dave DeWitt’s wife Mary Jane Wilan to share her all-time favorite chicken recipe. Dave may be the Pope of Peppers, but where cooking is concerned, Mary Jane rules the roost. Here’s her take on a classic recipe that features paprika, another much-loved kitchen staple in the U. S. You can read more about paprika on the Fiery Foods & BBQ SuperSite here.
3 Tablespoons (or more) vegetable oil
1 chicken, cut up
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup to 1 cup chicken stock
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 Tablespoons hot paprika) If not available, add regular paprika and 1 teaspoon cayenne)
pinch of thyme
1/2 cup sour cream
Thickening: 1 cup milk and 2 Tablespoons flour in a covered jar; shake hard before pouring into the sauce.
Dumplings:
1 egg
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup tepid water
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan; add the chicken and sauté on each side about 2 minutes, lightly add salt and pepper.
Remove the chicken to a bowl.
Add the onions to the pan and and sauté about 1 minute; add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
Add the chicken back to the pan and add chicken stock, tomato paste, wine, paprika, and thyme. It should barely cover the chicken. If it doesn’t, add more wine or stock.
Cover and simmer 1/2 hour; turn chicken and simmer 1/2 hour more. Remove chicken to a warm platter.
Add the thickening to the pan slowly (you can even put it though a small strainer to avoid lumps) and stir constantly.
Turn down the heat to a low simmer and stir in the sour cream. Do not let it boil. If the mixture gets too thick, add more milk.
Return the chicken to the pan, cover and remove from the heat.
Put the cooked dumplings (recipe to follow) in the sauce to soak up the flavor.
To make the dumplings:
In a medium bowl, stir the egg until it breaks up. Add the next 3 ingredients and stir. Add the water to make a paste.
Drop by spoonfuls into salted, boiling water and cook until the dumplings rise to the top.
Drain in a colander and then add to the chicken and sauce.
Although paprika is more often used in stews than sauces, this sauce was
designed as a condiment for fish. Traditionally, it is served over fried
fillets of river fish.
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon minced onion
2 to 3 teaspoons hot paprika
Hint of nutmeg
Heat the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour, salt, and pepper and stir
constantly until it starts to bubble. Gradually add the milk, stirring
constantly until the mixture is smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil and
continue to stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the onion, nutmeg, and paprika
to the mixture, stir well for 30 seconds, and serve.
In Hungary, this dish is served over toasted bread or rolls, or accompanied by dumplings or plain rice. It can also be a rich side dish to accompany roasted chicken or pork. To save preparation time, slice the mushrooms with an egg slicer.
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter or lard
2 medium onions, chopped
1 pound fresh mushrooms (champignons, or a mixture of several kinds of mushrooms), cleaned and thinly sliced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 rounded tablespoon Hungarian mild or medium-hot paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pure sour cream (containing no additives)
Melt the butter or lard in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until they are translucent. Add the mushrooms and garlic, stirring until they are well-coated with the melted fat.
Reduce the heat to very low, sprinkle the paprika over the ingredients in the skillet, and stir to mix well. Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover the skillet and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the mushrooms begin to turn soft.
Stir in the salt and sour cream. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes longer, just until the sour cream is warm. Do not let the mixture boil.
Serve immediately.
My husband is an excellent cook of Hungarian foods. Following is his personal recipe for Paprika Chicken, a very refined version of this classic dish. Serve accompanied by egg noodles, plain rice, or boiled potatoes. In Hungary, this dish is traditionally served with small egg dumplings called galuska.
3 tablespoons corn oil*
2 tablespoons butter*
2-1/2 to 3-pound chicken, cut into serving pieces
2 medium onions, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 rounded tablespoon medium-hot paprika
2 tablespoons hot paprika
2 rounded tablespoons mild paprika
2 tablespoons brandy
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/3 to cup sour cream
Salt to taste
*(Or substitute a total of 5 tablespoons lard or rendered goose fat, for the entire recipe.)
Heat the oil and butter (or lard/goose fat) in a large (4- to 6-quart) heavy stove-top casserole. Brown the chicken pieces over medium-high heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken and set aside. Add the chopped onions to the casserole and saute the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce heat to very low, stir in all the paprika, and cook for an additional minute, stirring constantly. Add brandy; stir to deglaze the pan. Add the browned chicken pieces and mix well. Add the chicken stock and stir.
Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 to 60 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken to a serving platter and keep warm. Bring the liquid in the casserole to a boil over high heat, and reduce the liquid by about one-third. Turn the heat to low, and slowly stir in the sour cream, until the sauce is smooth. Add salt to taste. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.
