Chicken Paprikash

 

My sister-in-law gave me a copy of America's Test Kitchen's Weeknight Chicken Dinners for Christmas. It's a wonderful collection of 94 recipes that you can manage to put on the table after a full day of work--or at least that's the theory! The first half are recipes made with chicken breasts. The second half is mostly recipes for chicken thighs. Chicken Paprikash sounded like a good choice for a cold night, and we had all the ingredients on hand. Well, almost. I only had smoked paprika, so I used much less (a scant teaspoon) than the recipe calls for, and I had fresh cilantro instead of parsley. It was still very good!

Chicken Paprikash
Serves 4
Adapted slightly from the Editors of Cook's Illustrated

2 Tblsp olive oil

1/2 large onion, sliced thin

1 red pepper, seeded and sliced thin

15 oz can of diced tomatoes

5 garlic cloves, smashed or pressed

salt and pepper

4 chicken thighs, skin removed

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 Tblsp sweet paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/3 cup sour cream

2 Tblsp all-purpose flour

2 Tblsp chopped parsley

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, garlic and 1 tsp salt. Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.

Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Add to the pot with the broth, paprika and cayenne. Submerge the chicken pieces and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer until the chicken is tender with an internal temperature of at least 195 degrees, turning the chicken pieces over at least once during cooking.

Whisk the sour cream and flour together in a small bowl. Add about 1/3 cup of hot cooking liquid to the sour cream mixture and stir until smooth. Add to the pot and stir well. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes, then serve. Garnish with chopped parsley. 

This is delicious served over egg noodles, or your favorite pasta.