Chicken Paprikash

Pat the Chicken Pieces dry and season generously with Fine Salt and Black Pepper.

Heat a few tablespoons of Lard in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in batches until golden on both sides, about 4–6 minutes per side; transfer browned pieces to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium and add the chopped Onion to the pot. Sauté until soft and golden, about 6–8 minutes, scraping up any browned bits.

Take the pot off the heat briefly, then quickly stir in the Sweet Hungarian Paprika and Hot Hungarian Paprika to bloom the spices (careful not to let the paprika burn). Add minced Garlic, diced Hungarian Wax Pepper and chopped Tomato; cook for 1–2 minutes.

Return the browned chicken to the pot and pour in enough Chicken Stock to come about halfway up the pieces. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook until the chicken is cooked through and tender, about 25–35 minutes.

While the chicken simmers, make the nokedli (Hungarian dumplings): whisk the Eggs with about 3/4 cup Water and a pinch of salt, then stir in the Plain Flour until you have a thick, sticky batter. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then push or drop the batter through a spaetzle maker (or a coarse colander) into the boiling water. When the dumplings float, cook for 1–2 minutes more, then scoop out and toss with Butter and chopped Parsley.

To finish the sauce, ladle a few tablespoons of the hot cooking liquid into a bowl and whisk it into the Sour Cream to temper it. Stir this mixture back into the pot over low heat and simmer gently for 2–3 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened—do not boil vigorously once the sour cream is added to prevent splitting.

Taste and adjust seasoning with more Fine Salt and Black Pepper if needed. Serve the chicken and its paprika sauce over the buttered nokedli, garnish with extra chopped parsley if you like, and enjoy warm.