I had the most tremendous goulash on my trip to Hungary at Easter this year. I cannot recommend Aszú Étterem enough (the city has so many fantastic restaurants it’s hard to beat, but this restaurant just nabbed the ‘best main course’). A few weeks after I got back I tried out a Hairy Bikers’ goulash recipe that didn’t really do it for me. However, this Paprika Chicken, from Chicken & Egg, seems to have hit the spot and effortlessly so.
The gorgeous sauce coats the chicken superbly, while the poultry just melts in the mouth. It’s warm and inviting. I feel back in the land of the Magyars. I confidently predict that this will become one of my firm favourites.
This can be served with a range of carbs, so try them out. Quite tempted to test it out with pasta and take into work.
Good things: the sauce is to die for
Bad things: mash works best, but I find mash a faff
Ingredients & requirements:
- 1 tablespoon of flour
- 8 chicken thighs (with bone & skin)
- 15g butter
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 2 large onions
- 2 red peppers
- 2 tablespoons of sweet smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon hot paprika
- 300ml chicken stock
- 75g soured cream
- dill or parsley leaves
Preparation & cooking (serves 4)
- Preparation:
- Prepare the 300ml of chicken stock. I do this just by boiling up a full small saucepan of water, add a stock cube, let it dissolve and set aside for when I need it later.
- Season 1 tablespoon of flour with salt & pepper. Then use it to dust 8 chicken thighs. I tend to just leave them all in the packet for this task. Might use a little bit more flour to ensuring a good coating!
- Slice 2 large onions into crescents, cut 2 red peppers into strips. Set aside together.
- Heat 15g butter + 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large wide pan. Add the 8 thighs skin side down. Fry on both sides until crisp and brown. Remove & set aside.
- Add onions crescents + red pepper strips. Saute gently over a low heat until soft.
- Add 2 tablespoons of sweet smoked paprika + ½ teaspoon hot paprika. Stir in and cook for 2 mins.
- Add 300ml chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken thighs on the sauce skin side up. Simmer for 30 mins (lid off). If it starts looking a bit dry cover the pan or add a tad more chicken stock if you have it.
- Remove the chicken from the pan, set aside again. Then add 75g soured cream and stir into the sauce. Cook over a low heat for 2 mins, then put the chicken back into the pan for a min or two.
- Sprinkle of dill or parsley leaves. I served with rice, but the Hairy Bikers say it can go with mash, pasta or noodles as well.
Reflections:
I served this with rice. However, the recipe book served mashed potato with it and I oh so wish I’d followed suit. It wasn’t bad by any means, but the dish would have been utterly perfect.
As I say, I’m sure I will return to this regularly. I actually only did half the recipe above and it fed me and sous chef Nik. I’m very keen to do this for a dinner party. Providing no veggies I think it’ll go down a treat!
This one shouldn’t cost you more than a tenner to make. Maybe £6 if only doing two portions.
