Chicken Paprikas and Dumplings/Spaetzles

Csirke Paprikás és Nokedli

INGREDIENTS:

2 Large onions (diced)

1/3 cup Olive oil

1 Green Bell Pepper (cleaned and quartered)

2 tablespoons Hungarian Paprika

1 small tomato (peeled and diced)

10-15 Skinless Chicken Thighs (bone in)

5-10 Chicken Breasts (cut in half)

4 - 6 cups water (Approximately)

1 Tbsp Salt

DIRECTIONS:

1.Heat oil and sauté onions on medium heat for approximately 10 minutes or until soft and translucent 

2.Add paprika and stir for approximately 20 seconds (Be careful not to burn paprika) 

3.Add 4 cups of water, diced tomatoes and salt

4.Simmer on medium heat for approx. 20 minutes (Stir occasionally) Sometimes I cover with lid to speed up the softening of the onions.

5.Remove pot from burner and tip to one side. Blend mixture with hand-held shake blender until smooth and creamy

6.Bring to a slow boil and add chicken thighs (breasts can be added after about 15 minutes because they cook faster and lose their moisture if they are overcooked. There should be just enough water to almost cover the chicken. Add additional 2 to 3 cups of water as needed to cover chicken, depending on how much evaporates with initial softening of onions and tomatoes before pureeing. 

7.Gently stir Paprikash every once in a while to distribute chicken evenly in pot and to submerge chicken that may be partially exposed above sauce line.

8.When chicken is cooked through, taste broth and add salt if needed (should be cooked through within 25 to 30 minutes from the time the chicken is added to pot) When Cooked through, remove pot from heat source to prevent overcooking chicken. Prop lid open with a wooden spoon.

Saute onions till soft and translucent

Find good source for Hungarian Paprika

Be careful to saute but not burn Paprika
or it will turn bitter. Lower heat and saute
20 seconds. Add Water and diced tomato.

Slow gentle boil for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
More important than time, is how soft the onions and tomatoes are before pureeing. 
the softer the content, the smoother and yummier the sauce. 

 ..

Blend sauce with hand held shake
blender

Make sure onions and tomato
are soft enough so sauce will
blend smooth

Add thighs (if you are using a
whole cut-up fryer, add all
pieces except breast) Add green
pepper. Cook approx 20 minutes
and then add breasts and cook
for another 15 to 20 minutes. 

When chicken is cooked through
remove from heat and prop lid

Remove from heat source and let steam escape. It is better
to reheat than to keep hot for long period.  
Overcooked chicken loses moisture. 

 

Dumplings

Nokedli

INGRDIENTS:

3 Cups All Purpose Flour

3 TSP Salt

3 Eggs

1 1/2 Cups Water

DIRECTIONS:

1.Mix flour and salt in mixing bowl

2.Make well in center of flour and add eggs and 1 cup of water.

3.When water is boiling, mix ingredients with large spoon till well mixed

4.Spoon half dough mixture onto dumpling grater and quickly grate over boiling water.

5.Repeat and allow dumplings to boil until water begins to foam and dumplings begin to rise. Stir to keep water from over flowing allowing dumplings to rise/swell a few times. stir and lower heat it necessary to keep from overflowing. Should swell about 3 or four times before straining.

6.Strain and rinse immediately with cold water.

7.Serve!!

  NOTE: The faster the dumplings get grated, the smaller they will be. It is better to reheat dumplings by running hot water over them in strainer (sieve) rather than placing them in the oven or microwave.

Add half TSP salt and a dash
of grapeseed oil to boiling water.

Use flat wooden spoon to grate
dough through holes in dumpling
grater.

Stir dumplings once or twice
while grating to keep them from
clumping together.

The faster you grate, the smaller
the dumplings will be. I like them
small.

Dumplings should swell like this
a few times. When you stir it,
it will settle down. Do NOT
leave this unattended or you will
have a sticky mess all over your
stove.

Cool Completely with cold running
water, using a spoon to stir the
cold water throughout the dumplings.
If you leave center of dumplings hot,
they may clump together.

Dumplings are best when they are
first done. To reheat, just run them
under hot water in sieve.

Steamed red potato wedges are
very yummy with the Paprikash

Jó étvágyat!!