Chicken Paprikash
I love how a few humble ingredients become a deeply comforting Hungarian supper in one pan. The onions melt into the paprika-scented sauce, while the chicken stays tender and juicy beneath a silky…
Ingredients
- 700 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 1/2 salt and 1/2 pepper tsp fine salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 2 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
- 300 ml chicken stock
- 180 g sour cream
- 1 tbsp plain flour
Instructions
- Place the chicken thighs on a board and pat them completely dry with paper towels; moisture prevents proper browning. Season both sides evenly with 1 teaspoon of the salt and all of the black pepper. Finely chop the onion, grate the garlic, and measure the paprika before heating the pan so the delicate spice can be added immediately when needed.
- Heat a wide, heavy-based sauté pan or shallow Dutch oven over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, then add the sunflower oil. Lay the chicken in the pan in a single layer and sear for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side and 2 minutes on the second side, working in batches if necessary. Turn only when the meat releases easily and the surface is deeply golden; it does not need to be cooked through at this stage.
- Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and reduce the pan to medium heat. Add the chopped onion to the remaining oil and rendered chicken fat, then cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping up browned bits. The onion is ready when soft, translucent, and lightly golden at the edges rather than sharply raw-smelling.
- Add the grated garlic to the softened onion and cook over medium heat for 30 seconds, stirring constantly until fragrant but not browned. Remove the pan from the heat for 30 seconds, then stir in the sweet paprika. Taking the pan off the heat prevents the paprika from scorching, which would make the sauce bitter and muddy.
- Return the pan to low heat and gradually pour in the chicken stock while stirring continuously with a wooden spoon. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer over medium heat; the sauce should show small, steady bubbles around the edges and loosen all the caramelized fond from the base of the pan.
- Return the chicken and any juices from the plate to the pan, arranging the pieces in the simmering paprika sauce. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 12 minutes. Turn the chicken once halfway through; the meat should become tender and the sauce should look brick-red and slightly thickened.
- In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream and plain flour together until completely smooth, with no visible flour pockets. Spoon about 120 ml of the hot paprika sauce into the bowl in three additions, whisking after each addition to temper the cream; this gradual warming prevents the sour cream from splitting when it reaches the pan.
- Reduce the pan to the lowest heat and slowly stir in the tempered sour-cream mixture. Simmer uncovered for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring gently, until the sauce is glossy, coats the back of a spoon, and reaches at least 74°C in the thickest chicken piece. Do not boil vigorously, because high heat can curdle the sour cream and toughen the chicken.
- Taste the sauce from the pan and adjust with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt if needed. Remove the pan from the heat and let the chicken rest in the sauce for 3 minutes; during this pause, the juices settle and the flour-thickened sauce reaches its final creamy consistency.
- Serve the chicken paprikash immediately from the warm pan or arrange one thigh per shallow bowl, spooning plenty of paprika sauce over the top. Offer crusty bread or buttered noodles alongside, and check that the finished sauce is smooth, savory, and warm throughout before serving.
Watch the Chicken Paprikash cooking video
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