Chicken Paprikash with Dumplings

Paprikás Csirke

When saveur reader Isabelle Zgonc of Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, sent us her family recipe for paprikash, Hungary’s famous paprika-spiced braised chicken dish, she also shared some of the happy childhood memories it evokes for her. “It was good, hearty food that pleased all our senses,” she recalled. Soft dumplings, sautéed with butter and parsley just before serving, are perfect for soaking up the paprikash’s thick red sauce.

1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste

2½ cups plus 2 tbsp. flour

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 3- to 4-lb. chicken, cut into 6–8 pieces, skin removed Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

¼ cup canola oil

2 tbsp. sweet paprika

1 Italian frying pepper, chopped

2 medium tomatoes, peeled, cored, seeded, and chopped

1 large yellow onion, minced

1½ cups chicken stock

¾ cup sour cream

3 tbsp. unsalted butter

2 tbsp. minced flat-leaf parsley

Serves 4

1. First, make the dumplings. Bring an 8-qt. stockpot of salted water to a boil. In a bowl, whisk together 2 cups of the flour and 1 tsp. of salt and form a well in the center. Add the egg and ½ cup water to the well and stir to form a dough. Knead dough in the bowl until smooth, about 1 minute. Using a teaspoon, scoop walnut-size portions of the dough into the pot of boiling water. Boil the dumplings until tender, 6–8 minutes. Drain the dumplings and rinse in cold water; cover with a tea towel and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Put ½ cup flour on a plate, dredge the chicken in the flour, and shake off the excess. Heat the oil in a 6-qt. Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken, turning once, until brown, 8–10 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside.

3. Add the paprika and half the frying peppers, along with the tomatoes and onions, to the Dutch oven and cook, stirring, until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved chicken and the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, turning the chicken once, until fully cooked, 12–15 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tbsp. flour and the sour cream. Whisk in ¾ cup of the sauce from the pot. Stir the sour cream mixture back into the sauce in the pot. Remove from the heat.

4. Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, add the reserved dumplings and the parsley, and cook, tossing occasionally, until hot, about 2 minutes. Serve the chicken garnished with the remaining frying peppers and dumplings on the side.