Chicken Paprika

Recently I was asked to evaluate a product line,  Alder “Some Like It Hott” Smoked  and Non-Smoked Paprikas.  While I like the moderately spicy taste of paprika, I’ve always thought of it as a finishing spice - something to sprinkle on after the fact to add color.  So I was really hard-pressed to come up with a dish where the paprika could take center-stage.  Then I remembered Chicken Paprika, a Hungarian specialty made with onions, tomatoes, bell peppers and sweet and hot paprika.

I used the Alder Red Jalapeno paprika in my version of the recipe.  The result was a dish that was hot, without being too hot; and the paprika really did steal the show! It tasted extremely fresh - maybe because it is produced in small batches - and the smoke and spiciness added lots of zip to otherwise bland chicken.  I can’t wait to work my way through all six flavors.  

Chicken Paprika Recipe

(Serves 4)

Ingredients 

4 ounce chicken breast, bone-in
Salt
fresh ground black pepper
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, sliced
14.5 ounces canned tomatoes, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
2 tablespoons sweet paprika, preferably Hungarian
1 teaspoon hot paprika (Adler Red Jalapeno)
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons flour, or cornstarch
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped fresh, garnish

Directions
Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add olive oil. When hot, pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and place them in the pan. Let the chicken pieces cook 4-5 minutes on each side, until well browned.  Remove the chicken from the pan to a platter and set aside.

Add the sliced onions to the sauté pan and cook them, stirring occasionally, scraping up the browned bits from the chicken, until lightly browned, about  5-7 minutes. Add the garlic, peppers and cook an additional 2 minutes.  Add the paprika; cook and stir 1 minute.  Stir in the tomatoes and broth and return chicken to the pan.  Simmer, uncovered, until chicken in thoroughly cooked, about 5-10 minutes longer.

Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.  Combine flour with cool water and stir into the sauce to thicken.   Then slowly stir in the sour cream and adjust seasoning.  Add the chicken back to the pan and coat with the sauce.  Serve with dumplings, rice, egg noodles or potatoes.