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This traditional Hungarian Paprikash was creamy and divine!

This Christmas at the famous Clark Family Christmas (it MUST be capitalized!) I got a special treat in my stocking. One of my sister-in-laws’ gave me a little gift bag all the way from Hungary. It contained some Rosas Hot Paprika and a small wooden spoon hand painted with flowers and the name of Hungary’s most famous city, Budapest. Since my sister-in-law knows I am a food blogger, she knew this gift would be special for me and she was right! I have “regular” paprika in my kitchen spice cabinet, but used it almost exclusively as a shake on topping for deviled eggs. I was excited to try cooking something with this pungent, warm and deep crimson red spice, but like all things that happen after Christmas, I was lucky to put it away in the right place and promptly forgot about it in the rush to get all the decorations stowed for next season.

That was until my dear blogging friend Sue of Couscous and Consciousness threw down the gauntlet and challenged us all to make a recipe using a specific ingredient. She is having a lot of fun hosting a wonderful new Blog Carnival called Make it with Mondays and each Monday she features a different ingredient. The first was vanilla, I could do that no problem, then there was saffron, what’s not to like? This past week, the ingredient was quinoa and I had a lot of fun with that!  Sue leaves her linky open for two weeks so folks have plenty of time to decide if they are IN or out and if they are IN, what they are gonna do.

Well, as fate would have it, the next challenge was paprika! As I looked at that lovely little wooden spoon from Budapest, I knew I wanted to create a traditional recipe and I remembered my mother cooking Paprikash when we were kids, so I asked her how to make it. I altered it a bit to make the recipe gluten free because I am still doing my month of gluten free to test it out and doing very well with my heartburn. This past Friday, the kids were out socializing and my husband was not yet home, so I had plenty of time to enjoy cooking a brand new dish!

Chicken Paprikash!

Serves 4

2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbs. unsalted butter

4 large skinless chicken breasts pounded slightly to 1 inch thickness and cut in quarters and then cut again or 8 skinless and boneless chicken thighs cut into strips or a combination of the two.

1 Cup thinly sliced yellow, white or sweet onions if you can get them

4 or 5 Garlic cloves peeled and minced

1 Cup tomato sauce

1 Cup home made chicken stock

1 Tbs. paprika of your choice (I blended regular with the hot and it was perfect, but spice it to your taste)

Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 Cup organic sour cream, creme fraiche or strained greek yogurt

In a large deep skillet or sauce pan with a lid, heat the oil and butter over medium high heat until hot. Add the chicken to the fat and brown, cooking on each side for about 5 minutes. The dark meat with take a little longer, and you just want to cook it until lightly browned and just cooked through. Remove to a plate and add a bit more fat if needed. Turn heat to medium and add in the onions, cooking until translucent, for about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and saute for another minute or so. Put the chicken pieces back into the pan and add the tomato sauce, chicken stock, paprika and salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn it down to simmer. Cover and cook for another 30 minutes or until sauce has reduced. When ready to serve, stir in the sour cream and mix well to blend. Do not allow the sour cream to boil, just to warm up slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning to your preference.

I served this with Saffron Rice and Three Greens with Bacon and it was an amazing meal! My kids weren’t home so my husband and I enjoyed seconds! The sauce was decadent and the hot paprika added a lovely depth to it. Next time I will make the sauce with a bit more hot paprika, or go crazy and find some smoked paprika to try. This recipe is definitely on my make again list!

So, thanks Suzy Q for challenging me to make something outside of my envelope! I have been doing that quite a bit lately and it feels so good! Can’t wait to see what lays ahead with Make it With Mondays!

This article is a part of the Hearth and Soul Hop-Volume 33, Tuesday Glam Party, Delicious Dishes, Made by You Monday, Mouthwatering Monday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Delectable Tuesdays, Dr. Laura’s Tasty Tuesday, Tuesday Night Supper Club, Tasty Tuesday Parade of Food, Sundays at One Food Club and Make it With Monday.