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Chicken Paprika

Source of Recipe

From "See You on Sunday" by Sam Sifton


Recipe Introduction

"The standard recipes for this russet-hued stew call for the paprika common to markets in the middle of the last century, mostly sweet and never smoked. But using fiery Hungarian paprika gives this dish a complexity and depth of flavor that pairs beautifully with butter-slicked egg noodles. It is a meal that lends itself well to consumption on one of those cool evenings when it might be spring, summer, or fall, with rain in your recent memory."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 5 to 6 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
â—¦ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed
â—¦ 1 large yellow or Spanish onion, peeled and diced
â—¦ 5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
â—¦ 3 tablespoons hot Hungarian paprika or smoked Spanish pimentón
â—¦ 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
â—¦ 2 cups chicken stock, ideally homemade or, if not, low-sodium
â—¦ 1 large ripe tomato, chopped, or 1 ½ cups canned tomatoes (or a 14-ounce can)
â—¦ 1 pound egg noodles
â—¦ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
â—¦ 1 cup sour cream


Recipe

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season aggressively with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot set over high heat until it shimmers. Sear the chicken, skin side down, in batches in the oil, until it is golden and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn the chicken over and repeat on the other side, another 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate to rest.

Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the accumulated fat and oil in the pot. Return the pot to the stove, over medium heat, and add the onion. Cook, stirring frequently with a spoon to scrape off any browned bits of chicken skin, until the onion has softened and gone translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir again, cooking it until it has softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the paprika and flour and stir well to combine, then cook until the mixture is fragrant and the taste of the flour has been cooked out, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the stock and whisk until smooth. Add the tomatoes, raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil.

Return the chicken to the pot, skin side up, stacking it in the liquid, if necessary, and lower the heat to medium. Cover the pot loosely and cook until the chicken has cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly, 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, set a large pot of heavily salted water to boil over high heat. Cook the noodles in the water until they are almost completely tender, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Drain the noodles and toss them in a bowl with the butter, then toss again to coat.

Serve the chicken on top of the noodles, then stir the sour cream into the remaining sauce and ladle it over the whole.