Chicken Paprikash

1. 1

   Heat the olive oil in a large high-sided saute pan and thoroughly brown the chicken pieces until golden on both sides. Set aside the chicken and drain the fat from the pan. Return 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat to the pan and return to medium/medium low heat. Saute the peppers and onions until the onions are softened (about 5 minutes). Add the chopped garlic and saute an additional 30 seconds or so until the garlic is fragrant. Add the tomatoes with their juices and cook, stirring until the liquid has evaporated. Sprinkle the paprika over the mixture and stir until combined. Add the stock and wine and bring to a simmer, scraping up and incorporating any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Place chicken on top of mixture and add more wine if necessary to bring the liquid half way up the pieces. Cover tightly and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear.

2. 2

   Remove chicken to a platter and cover to keep warm if serving immediately. Strain vegetables from braising liquid and set aside. Allow fat to rise from liquid (about 10 minutes). Remove as much fat as possible, then return the liquid to the pan.

3. 3

   Whisk together sour cream and flour. Add several ladlefuls of hot braising liquid to the sour cream mixture and whisk together. Now add the sour cream mixture to the remaining liquid and simmer over low heat, whisking occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.

4. 4

   If you intend to serve them, add vegetables back to the sauce and stir. Place chicken pieces back in the pan briefly to return to serving temperature. Serve over noodles, spaetzle or dumplings.

5. 5

   This recipe improves with age so if you prefer to make it ahead, refrigerate chicken, vegetables and braising liquid separately. Defat and reheat the liquid, then proceed from the addition of the sour cream. In this case it is better to bone the chicken and cut it into large bites, as it will reheat more easily.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.