Sur La Table Cookbook: Amanda Moore’s Chicken Paprikash

In this new series, we’re bringing you recipes straight from the cookbooks, recipe cards and traditions of our employees’ kitchens.

From new twists on old classics to original, delicious creations, you’ll get a taste of the creativity, innovation and passion that is behind the Sur La Table brand—and pick up a few new dishes to try for your next gathering.

To kick things off, we’re diving into this twist on a Hungarian classic, courtesy of our Culinary Website Producer, Amanda Moore.

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That’s right, I’m totally paying homage Chef John from foodwishes.com here.

If you know, you know, and if you don’t know, then you should go subscribe to his YouTube channel right now. I once heard him described as ‘the alpha and omega of YouTube chefs’ and I couldn’t agree more.

Anyway, as a diehard Trekkie, I first heard about Chicken Paprikash in an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

According to his son, Commander Sisko only makes it when he’s in a good mood. So, my boyfriend chose to look up a recipe on YouTube and as diehard Chef John fans, naturally we chose to try his. It was an immediate hit.

Most recently we made it for dinner on our boys’ first day back to school because not only is it something delicious and comforting to have after a long day, but what puts you in a better mood than when your kids go back to school, am I right?!

All joking aside, I love that my family enjoys it so much because I know when we cook it, all of us are going to be excited to sit down at the table and eat, and sitting down with my three best guys and sharing a meal is my happy place.

While Chef John’s recipe is great, ours has evolved since we first made it.

We add a red bell pepper along with the onions and serve it with some garlic hot sauce, which we think complements it perfectly. We also double the sauce this recipe calls for, because we love spooning it over egg noodles or spaetzle. We love it served alongside buttered peas, but it would also be great with some dressed greens to cut the richness.

It’s definitely one of those meals that doesn’t photograph very well, but it’s delightful to eat. If you choose to make this, I hope you love it as much as my family does and even if you’re not in a good mood, I’m confident it will put you in one.

In the words of Chef John: “And as always, enjoy.”

— Amanda Moore, Sur La Table Culinary Website Producer

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Ingredients

To make the chicken:

• 2 tablespoons lard
• 8 (5 ounce) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• Kosher salt to taste

To make the sauce:

• 2 medium yellow onions, diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 ½ cup sweet Hungarian paprika
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 ½ cups sour cream, room temperature
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream

To serve:

• Egg noodles or spaetzle, cooked
• Garlic hot sauce, such as Texas Pete
• Parsley, for garnish

Directions:

1. Season chicken generously on both sides with salt. In a large (at least 14”) skillet or (at least 5 qt.) sauté pan, heat the lard on medium-high to high heat.
2. Brown the chicken, skin-side down, about 5 minutes; flip and continue to sear until the other side is browned, 3 to 4 minutes more. (Note that the chicken will be submerged in sauce and this step is more to render out some of that fat than to get a crispy, perfectly browned surface.) Turn off heat.
3. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and reserve until needed; spoon excess fat out of the pan, leaving approximately 2 tablespoons.
4. Add onion, bell pepper and a pinch of salt to the same pan and sauté over medium until golden, about 5 minutes.
5. Add garlic, tomato paste, and flour and cook, stirring, another 3 to 4 minutes to form a tomato roux. Stir in 1 teaspoon kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, smoked paprika, and sweet paprika and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer over high heat.
6. Reduce heat to medium-low and transfer chicken and accumulated juices back into the pan. Baste the tops with the sauce, cover the pan with the lid, and simmer, basting occasionally with the sauce, until the chicken is no longer pink in the centers and is fork-tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove the chicken and transfer to a plate.
7. Skim some fat off the top of the sauce if desired. Whisk heavy cream and sour cream into the sauce and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
8. Transfer the chicken and any juices back into the sauce. Simmer, uncovered, basting often, until chicken is heated through and very tender, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
9. To serve, top the chicken thighs with a generous amount of garlic hot sauce and serve with egg noodles or spaetzle covered in the sauce. Garnish with parsley.
10. Enjoy!