Chicken Paprikash

Chicken Paprikash is a wonderful dish to serve to company. It’s elegant and delicious but very simple to prepare. You can use any chicken parts you prefer but here I suggest skinless, boneless chicken thighs. Very tasty and economical.

And don’t be afraid of the bacon. As discussed in "Good or bad", there is absolutely no reason not to enjoy small quantities of your favorite foods from time to time. In this case, a small quantity of well-drained bacon provides a lot of depth to the sauce and really punches up the flavor.

Chicken Paprikash is generally served on broad egg noodles with sour cream. Instead of sour cream I prefer to use yoghurt cheese which is much healthier but still provides a creamy, tart accompaniment.

You’ll need:

-2 slices thick, farm-style bacon

-1 tbsp olive oil

-8 chicken thighs, skinless and boneless

-1 spanish onion, chopped

-3 cloves of garlic, minced

-1 red and 1 green pepper, chopped

-1 cup homemade or low-sodium chicken stock

-¼ cup tomato paste

-1 tbsp all-purpose flour

Seasonings: 3 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika, salt and pepper to taste, ½ tsp dried thyme and hot pepper if desired

-4 cups cooked, broad egg noodles

-1 cup yoghurt cheese

Start by cooking the bacon well in a large oven-proof pot. Remove bacon, pat dry and wipe residual bacon fat from pan.

Add the olive oil to the pan and brown the chicken thighs on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the onion and sauté until softened. Then add the peppers and celery, cover and sauté about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir until it is absorbed into the moisture and is slightly browned…about a minute.

Add the chicken stock, tomato paste and seasonings, stirring well to break up any lumps of flour. Return the chicken to the pot, bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Add a little more liquid if necessary to ensure the chicken is just covered.

Cover and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve on broad egg noodles with dollops of yoghurt cheese on top.

Serves 4.

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