Chicken Paprikash – Chris’s Version

 I’ve been using this recipe from the Youngstown, Ohio, Angels and Friends Cookbook for decades. Milk Street  offered up their version this year.

I blended them here, and I think improved on both!

Ingredients:

¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter (or mix butter with some oil to prevent burning)

1 ½ cups chopped onion

Shallot, chopped (optional)

2-4 cloves garlic, chopped (optional)

Some combination of 2 peppers – bell, Anaheim, cubanelle, chopped. (Some hot, some sweet, your choice!)

2 large roasted red peppers (from a jar with some juice)

Juice of ½ lemon

1.5 pounds chicken, in large chunks (I used the tenderloins for Costo, whole)

¼ cup paprika (some combination of sweet, hot, smoked, or all sweet)

½ teaspoon salt.

2 cups chicken broth (Better Than Bullion always works)

2 more tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1.5 cups sour cream

Dumpling/biscuit mix of your choice. See below for what I used.

Preparation:

1.      Melt the butter. Add the onions (shallots and garlic, if using). Cook until translucent.

2.      Add the chopped peppers, roasted peppers, lemon juice and chicken. Cook until vegetables soft. Chicken won’t be cooked yet.

3.      Add the paprika and salt, stir until combined.

4.      Add the broth and simmer over low heat – bottom will burn otherwise.

5.      Cover with lid and cook until chicken is tender.

6.      While chicken is cooking, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a small pan and add the flour. Cook until this roux is light brown.

7.      Remove the roux from heat and let cool down a bit.

8.      Add the sour cream and stir until combined with the roux.

9.      When the chicken is done, scoop a few tablespoons of the broth into the roux mixture. Do this 2 or 3 times and combine until smooth each time.

10. Stir the roux mixture into the chicken pot and heat back up to a low simmer.

11. Drop the biscuit mix in large dollops on top of the pot and cook 10 – 15 minutes until biscuits are cooked through. I had to pull one apart to know for sure, though a temperature probe is another option! (Internet says 190 degrees.)

12. When biscuits are done, you are ready to serve.

Biscuits:

Ingredients:

I had Kodiak Pancake and Waffle Mix handy, so I used

2 cups of the mix

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon black (or white) pepper

2 Tablespoons melted butter

1 cup buttermilk

Mix all dry ingredients, then the wet and combine. Dollop over Paprikash and cook until done.