All Roads Lead to Paprikash

I've been meaning to post the paprikash recipe for years. I was especially galvanized following Sam Sifton's spotlight (which was quite a while back, cough cough). 

Growing up, I ate paprikash weekly. It's a beloved household staple that had never been replaced. Once, Ma decided to be enterprising and try something different: chicken cacciatore. She carefully followed all the steps of the recipe, then said dryly, "I just made paprikash." 

See? Irreplaceable. 

Paprikash is simple, and can be altered in any way the chef desires. It can be made with or without green or red peppers. It can be made with other colored bell peppers, like a lecso. If there are some sad, overripe tomatoes on the counter, chuck 'em in. One can add other side dish vegetables towards the end of cooking to simmer divinely in the sauce—turnip, squash, parsnip, potatoes, zucchini, broccoli, etc. Once my sister, on a lark, added red wine, and her kids loved it. 

Over the years, the basic recipe was slightly altered as Ma learned new tips from her tv chefs. She found that when the onions are sliced into half-moons, as opposed to diced, they caramelize most pleasingly. The paprika was upped in quantity, and it should be infused in the hot oil. 

Ma had the talent for making her paprikash seared without actually searing (also known as "almost burnt," just the way I like it). I don't know how she did it, so sometimes I sear the chicken first, then add it back after sauteing the onion.  

While most Hungarian mamas would leave the skin on (although Zsuzsa does not), Ma always removed it (she was into healthy cooking, after all). In my opinion, it allows the paprika flavors to really penetrate. 

The amount of paprika varies by recipe. Zsuzsa uses 2 to 3 tablespoons, others are very stingy. Use as much as you like. 

The picture below shows nokedli as well. But I'll save those babies for another post.

Basic Paprikash

8-10 pieces chicken legs or thighs

1 large onion, thinly sliced into half moons

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 generous tablespoon paprika

a few shakes smoked paprika (optional) 

1 green pepper, thinly sliced (optional)

1. Remove skin from the chicken. 

2. If you like, you can sear the chicken first (but it isn't necessary). Dab the meat dry, sprinkle some salt and paprika, and sear for a few minutes in a hot, oiled pan. 

3. If having seared first, remove the chicken. Next, add the onions and sauté. 

4. When the onions are looking oh so fine, scooch them over to the side of the pan. Add a little more oil and when hot, add the paprika(s) and garlic. Allow the spices to infuse in the oil for a minute, ensuring they do not burn. 

5. Mix the onions and spices back together, and spread the onions evenly along the bottom of the pot. Add back the chicken, and the pepper(s) if using. I like to sprinkle the chicken now with a little salt and some more paprika.

6. Cover and lower the flame to a simmer. The chicken will cook for 90 minutes. If needed, add water only a half cup at a time. But the last few times I made it so much liquid came out of the chicken it wasn't necessary to add anything. 

7. Depending how long your side dish needs to cook, add whatever you like as well, as mentioned above. God, everything tastes amazing in paprikash sauce.   

8. Oh, and it freezes very well.