THIS IS COMFORT FOOD FOR MY FAMILY And has been since forever. It's one of my favorite things, I can eat it for days and never get tired of it. All measurements are best guesses, so feel free to mess around a bit. Don't under do the paprika though, and make sure your paprika isn't old. Old paprika is a travesty. This is my version I've adapted over the years, which is probably different than my mom's or aunt's or cousin's, which is the beauty of paprikash. It's very forgiving.
Mandy Connell's Oh My Gosh Paprikash!
One whole chicken cutup or four leg quarters (this MUST be on the bone or it just doesn’t work)
1 tbs oil
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic, chopped
1 14oz can of chopped tomatoes
2 tbls tomato paste
4 cups chicken stock
3 heaping tbls good paprika (not old, old is very bad)
¼ cup sour cream or slightly more to taste
Salt and pepper
Get a large dutch oven and heat a tablespoon of oil.
Brown the chicken and render some of the fat from the chicken and then remove it from the pan. It will fully cook later.
Add green bell pepper and onion and cook until slightly softened, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add garlic and stir for one minute.
Add chicken pieces, pour in tomatoes and add tomato paste on top, don’t try to stir.
Add Chicken stock until the chicken is about 3/4 covered. Bring to a boil on the stove, then add the paprika by sprinkling it over the chicken, cover with a tight lid and either simmer for an hour on the stove, or put it into a 350 degree oven for an hour.
Half way through cooking, stir it.
When chicken is very tender and falling off the bone, remove from heat, remove the chicken and stir in sour cream and season with salt and pepper. If I want a smooth gravy I will run it through my blender or use an immersion blender.
Then add chicken back to pot and serve with egg noodles or dumplings. Polenta also works really well.