Csirkepaprikás

Name: Csirkepaprikás
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Hungary
Ingredients: 1.2 kg chicken pieces, bone-in and skin-on (thighs and legs preferred); 3 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika (noble sweet paprika, édesnemes: the essential ingredient); 1 tsp hot Hungarian paprika (csípős paprika: for heat; increase to taste); 0.5 tsp smoked paprika; 2 large onions, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 2 green bell peppers (Hungarian wax peppers preferred), chopped; 2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped; 2 tbsp lard or vegetable oil; 200 ml chicken stock or water; 200 ml sour cream (tejföl); 1 tbsp flour; 1 tsp salt; Nokedli (Hungarian egg dumplings) or egg noodles, to serve

Hungarian chicken paprikash: the national dish defined by paprika's creamy, red-golden embrace

Origin: Hungary

From the journey of Chilli Pepper.

Chicken paprikash (csirkepaprikás) is the defining national dish of Hungary (a stew of chicken in a sauce built almost entirely from paprika, the ground dried chilli that Hungary transformed into its national spice over the 16th and 17th centuries. The chilli reached Hungary via the Ottoman Empire, which occupied much of Hungary from 1541 to 1699 and which had itself received the chilli from Spain and Portugal in the mid-16th century. The Ottoman word for pepper) biber, and the dish preparation methods of the Ottomans left deep traces in Hungarian cooking. But Hungary's genius was to dry and grind the chilli into a sweet, mild, fruity spice (paprika) rather than use it fresh or as a hot seasoning. The particular climate of the Kalocsa and Szeged regions of Hungary proved ideal for growing the varieties that produce the finest paprika, and by the 18th and 19th centuries Hungary had claimed the chilli as a national treasure. The playwright and Nobel laureate Albert Szentgyörgyi, who won his prize for discovering Vitamin C in paprika, called it 'the spice that saved my people', referring to Hungary's ability to produce paprika when the Ottoman blockades cut off black pepper supplies. Chicken paprikash is the perfect expression of this relationship: a simple chicken stew that is elevated by the extraordinary depth and colour of Hungarian paprika, finished with the characteristic sour cream (tejföl) that gives the sauce its silky, slightly tangy completeness.

Ingredients

Protein

1.2 kg chicken pieces, bone-in and skin-on (thighs and legs preferred)

Paprika

3 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika (noble sweet paprika, édesnemes: the essential ingredient)
1 tsp hot Hungarian paprika (csípős paprika: for heat; increase to taste)
0.5 tsp smoked paprika

Base

2 large onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Pepper

2 green bell peppers (Hungarian wax peppers preferred), chopped

Tomato

2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped

Fat

2 tbsp lard or vegetable oil

Liquid

200 ml chicken stock or water

Finish

200 ml sour cream (tejföl)

Thickening

1 tbsp flour

Seasoning

1 tsp salt

To serve

Nokedli (Hungarian egg dumplings) or egg noodles, to serve

Method

Season the chicken pieces with salt. Heat the lard or oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken pieces on both sides until golden. Remove and set aside.
In the same pot, reduce heat to medium. Cook the onions for 10 minutes until very soft and golden.
Remove from heat (this is important). Add all the paprika and stir into the onion. Return to very low heat for 30 seconds, stirring.
Immediately add the chopped tomatoes and peppers. Stir to combine. Return to medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes.
Return the chicken to the pot. Add the stock and garlic. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for 40 minutes until the chicken is completely tender.
Mix the sour cream with the flour until smooth. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the sour cream mixture gradually, then return to very low heat. Stir gently for 3 minutes: do not boil once the sour cream is added or it will curdle.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve over nokedli (Hungarian egg dumplings) or egg noodles, with extra sour cream on the side.

Notes

The quality of the Hungarian paprika is the single most important variable in this dish. Genuine Hungarian sweet paprika (édesnemes) is a revelation compared to generic paprika: it is fruity, slightly sweet, and deeply flavoured. Buy it from a Hungarian or Eastern European food shop and store it away from light. Paprika loses its flavour rapidly once opened; use within 6 months. Lard (zsír), while unfashionable, produces a noticeably richer, more authentic result than oil and is the traditional fat. Nokedli (tiny soft Hungarian egg dumplings made by pressing batter through a colander into boiling water) are the ideal accompaniment.

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control