Hungry for Hungarian

This cook's gene pool has Hungarian in it and so this week I have recreated a dish from my childhood. 

When one thinks of Hungarian food, only two come to mind (we'll get to the liquid refreshment part of this week's blog soon enough): Goulash -- basically a beef stew; and Paprikash, basically a chicken stew flavored with Hungary's most well known spice, paprika.

 Capcicum annuum is the scientific name of the red bell pepper used in Hungary to make paprika and, depending on your taste, you can have it mild or spicy. The smoked variety of paprika which has come into culinary favor over the past several years is actually a Spanish creation.

 I used a whole chicken, cut up, excluding the wings and the back. I cut the breasts in half so that I had a total of eight whole pieces, bones and skin included, for my stew. I dredged the chicken parts in seasoned flour and browned them well on all sides. I'm a big believer in layering flavors and the browning of the chicken is an important layer of flavor in my playbook.

After browning, I took out the chicken and covered it with foil to keep it somewhat warm while I caramelized a traditional mirepoix (onion, carrots and celery) with the addition of some red bell pepper and a jalapeño because I could not find the spicy variety of the Hungarian chili pepper. I also added salt, pepper and paprika.

After caramelization, the chicken goes back into the pot along with some tomato paste (to help reinforce the red color you want in the sauce) along with 3 cups of chicken stock. The mixture should come to a boil, then be reduced to a simmer, covered and cook for about a half hour until the chicken is completely cooked through.

The chicken goes into the serving vessel (used something that has sides, because there is a lot of sauce). The sauce in the pot gets strained and the solids are discarded, as they have given up every last bit of flavor they had to offer. I then raised the heat to reduce the sauce and thicken it some. You can help it thicken if you'd like with a cornstarch slurry or even some Wondra.

Then pour it over the chicken and you've got one delicious Hungarian treat.

Oh yes, that liquid refreshment referred to previously actually is best after dinner. The brand is Slivovitz and it's actually a plum brandy -- something else unique to Hungary.

Here's the video, followed by the recipe:

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 chicken, cut up (about a 3 to 4 lb bird)

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup flour

4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and finely chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

1 large carrot, finely chopped

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

1 medium chili pepper (Holland, serrano, or red jalapeño, seeded and chopped)

2 Tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp paprika (sweet is preferred, but you can use hot)

1 tsp ground cumin

3 cups chicken stock

3 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped

Heat oil in a 6 quart saucepan over medium high heat. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper and dredge in flour Add chicken to pan and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.

Add garlic, bell peppers, celery, carrot, onion and chili and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add tomato paste, paprika and cumin and cook, stirring until lightly caramelized, about 2 minutes. Return chicken to pan along with chicken stock and bring to a boil Reduce heat to medium low and cook at a simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 45 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a serving platter, and pour cooking liquid through a strainer into a bowl. Discard solids. Season liquid with salt and pepper and pour over chicken. Garnish with chopped parsley.