Chicken Paprikash (Csirkepaprikás)

Method

1. Get everything ready first: finely chop the onion, deseed the pepper and cut it into 1 cm strips, and dice the tomato into 1 cm pieces. Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper.

2. Melt the lard in a 24 cm heavy pot, add the onion and cook on medium-low heat for 8 min, stirring often, until soft, translucent and only very lightly golden. Don't let it brown; these onions give the sauce its sweetness and body.

   Add in this stepLard (or neutral oil) 1½ tbspOnions (medium) 1

   medium-low heat

3. Season the chicken with half the salt, add it to the pot and cook on medium heat for 6 min, turning the pieces, until the outside turns opaque and lightly golden.

   Add in this stepBone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks 500 gSalt 0.4 tsp

   medium heat

4. Take the pot off the heat (heat off), wait about 30 seconds, then stir in the paprika quickly. Paprika burns in hot fat within seconds and turns bitter, so always add it off the heat. Pour in the water straight away and stir, scraping the bottom.

   Add in this stepSweet paprika (Hungarian if possible) 1½ tbspWater 200 ml

   heat off

5. Add the pepper, tomato and remaining salt and bring to a boil on medium-high heat, then cover, reduce to low heat and simmer for 35 min, turning the chicken once or twice. It is done when the meat pulls easily from the bone and the juices run clear with no pink at the thickest part (75 °C inside).

   Add in this stepPale green Hungarian pepper or green bell pepper 1Tomato 1Salt 0.4 tsp

   medium-high heat→low heat

6. Meanwhile make the nokedli: in a bowl, beat the flour, egg, about a fifth of the salt and the water with a wooden spoon into a smooth, sticky batter that drops slowly from the spoon. Bring 2 L of water with the rest of the salt to a rolling boil on high heat. Press the batter through a nokedli maker, or spread it thinly on a board and scrape small pieces into the water with a knife. Once they float, cook 2 min more, drain and toss with the butter. Cook in batches if you have a lot.

   Add in this stepPlain flour (for the nokedli) 140 gEgg (for the nokedli) 1Water (for the nokedli batter) 75 mlSalt (for the nokedli) 1½ tspButter 10 g

   high heat

7. In a bowl, mix the sour cream and sauce flour until smooth, then stir in a ladle of the hot sauce to warm it. Pour it into the pot and heat on low heat for 3 min, stirring, until thickened. Keep it at a gentle bubble: a hard boil can split the sour cream. Taste and adjust the salt.

   Add in this stepPlain flour (for the sauce) 2 tspSour cream 120 g

   low heat

8. Pile the nokedli on plates and spoon the chicken and plenty of sauce over them. A cucumber salad on the side makes it a true Hungarian meal.