Roasted Mason Jar Chicken

June 09, 2016 by Aurel Pop in Main Dish

Every time I cook a whole chicken I am reminded of the time my friends and I stole a featherd fowl.

Before I start, let me preface this story by saying that I do not agree with stealing; however, desperate times sometimes call for desperate measures.

It was the summer of 1999. I was 16 years old at the time, and my parents gave me permission to spend a week at their lake cabin at Mujdeni with my closest friends Ovi and Sergiu, my high-school sweetheart Alina, her little sister Pupi, and Tommy, our family dog. Even though the cabin had no electricity, running water, or a proper bathroom, we loved it there. We sunbathed and swam during the day, played soccer and volleyball in the evening, and played cards and board games by candlelight at night.

When my parents gave me the green light, our first step was to come up with a budget and shopping list. We were planning to party, so we allocated a minimum amount for food, so we could buy more booze and cigarettes.

For the first few days we lived like kings. We ate four or five meals the first day, and we finished all the perishable food including the meat, cheese, and eggs. We had to - we didn’t have a refrigerator. The second day we ate like gluttons as well and polished off all the canned food, dried sausages, and root vegetables. By the third day, things got a bit tougher. We feasted on the items that were left: bread, dried sausage, bacon, fruit preserves and a few potatoes. We weren’t all that worried, because we still had some cash and the closest village was only a half hour walk from the cabin. The village had a decent supply store where we could buy booze and cigarettes if we wanted to.

The fourth day came, and we woke up starving. We decided that it was indeed time for us to make a trip to the village to buy some essentials. As we were getting ready to leave, we noticed a strange look on Sergiu’s face. Sergiu was the oldest and wisest of the bunch, and he was responsible for keeping up with our money and making sure we didn’t spend it all on booze and cigarettes. Unfortunately, the night before, Sergiu drank too much wine and jumped in the lake with all our money in one of his pockets and the last pack of cigarettes in the other. He didn’t remember losing our money until that moment, but his face said it all. It was the face of oh-shit-I-lost-all-our-money.

At that moment, we realized we were screwed. We were left with literally nothing to eat, and our phones were dead. We ransacked the pantry and found salt, pepper, vinegar, and mustard. I wasn’t that much of a kitchen wizard at the time, but even I knew that condiments weren’t going to help us solve our predicament.

So we started planning again: Alina, Pupi, and I would go mushroom hunting in the forest, while Ovi and Sergiu would go fishing. I had gone mushroom-hunting with my parents before, so I was confident about my skills. We were delusional and blinded by hunger, so we overlooked the two major flaws in our master plan: 1) It hadn’t rained in weeks, and 2) No one had ever caught a decent-sized fish in the seven years we had the cabin.

After hours of fruitless hunting and fishing, we admitted defeat. We were getting really hungry. Pupi started crying from hunger, and the boys contemplated frying earthworms. But even the earthworm plan was flawed. Since it had been weeks since the last rain, we would have to dig really deep to find them.

And that’s when we came up with another brilliant idea: going to the nearby village to find food. This village stretched along a creek and had a nearby meadow where peasants grew crops. We could scavenge for corn, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and even pumpkins if we were lucky. All of those choices sounded better than earthworms!

We decided to leave the girls at the cabin since this was a risky operation. We knew we’d probably get beaten up if we were caught stealing from the locals, but we were too hungry to think rationally. We took Tommy with us as well -- after all, he was a male and, while dumb, he was a fearless little Cocker Spaniel.

On our way to the meadow, we made plans: how we would operate, what we would say if we were caught, and which way we would run if necessary. When we got to the gardens, we realized that corn season was over and potato season was still months away. We found some greens that looked like salad and tossed them in our bags. We also found a few onions and began feeling optimistic. But then nothing: no tomatoes, no peppers, no beans, no nothing. Desperation took hold, and after a quick discussion, we decided to go big: if we saw a chicken, piglets, or even a baby lamb, we would go for the kill. After all, we had to eat!

As we walked up the creek, we saw a house in the distance. It seemed like the house wasn’t fenced up, which was a good sign, we thought. We silently crept towards the house with every hair on our bodies standing on end. As we neared, we heard the beautiful, sweet sound of chickens scratching the earth for their noon meal.

But how would we catch one without being caught ourselves? We were only 150 feet away, and the cabin’s open back door warned us of imminent danger. Then I remembered that Tommy was a seasoned chicken assassin. He may have technically been an apartment dog, but Tommy’s hunting instincts were on point. He had killed my grandpa Bunu’s chickens more than once when he had the opportunity. It was time for Tommy to prove his worth as a hunting dog.

“Go get ’em!” I commanded Tommy, and low and behold, he went straight for the chickens and straight for the kill.

Our hearts started racing as the chickens began squawking. Feathers were flying everywhere. One poor chicken got cornered, the rest ran back into the coop. In an ideal world, Tommy would kill the chicken and bring it to us. But this wasn’t an ideal world, and Tommy’s raw hunting skills weren’t as refined as I’d hoped. Tommy did indeed kill a chicken, but then he left it 60 freaking feet from the house.

What should we do? Who was going to pick up the chicken? I thought Sergiu should do it, since he lost our money in the first place. We were pointing at each other and exchanging glances, until I got tired of the situation and decided that I would retrieve the chicken. As I crept from the tall grass towards the backyard of the house, a toddler walked out and stared at me. I looked away, but somehow still met his gaze. I kept walking towards the still-writhing chicken in a very unnatural way. I glanced up, and the little boy waved a chubby hand at me. I smiled and waved back, and then he walked back inside.

Oh no! I panicked, grabbed the chicken, and raced towards the creek. My heart was pounding in my chest, but for some reason, I started laughing. Ovi, Sergiu, and Tommy all ran with me, and we didn’t look back. We ran with our makeshift dinner for 15 minutes before reaching the outskirts of the village, and in another 15 minutes, we were almost back to our cabin. We were proud! We were hunters! We provided food!

As we approached the cabin, I saw a blonde lady. Were the locals waiting for us? But then I heard Alina’s mother’s familiar voice and a wave of relief swept through me. She was the blonde lady! She had tried to call us and was concerned that our phones were off, so she decided to stop by the cabin with food supplies, including bread, meat, veggies, and a freshly baked cake.

Alina’s mom commented on the bags of veggies, but she didn’t seem to notice the slaughtered chicken I had tucked under my t-shirt. We ate dinner and eventually confessed our crime. Alina’s mom chuckled, jokingly chided us, and then plucked and cleaned the bird. We roasted that scrawny motherfucker, and no chicken since has ever tasted so good.

Enjoy!

ROASTED MASON JAR CHICKEN

Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 90 minutes
Inactive time: 3 hours

Ingredients

Rub

½ Tbsp. sweet paprika
½ Tbsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Roasted chicken

1 whole chicken (4-5 lbs.)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 can lager beer (12 oz.)
¼ cup water
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 cloves garlic, crushed
½ lemon, sliced
2 dried bay leaves

Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine dry rub ingredients and mix well.
Remove the neck and giblets from the chicken’s cavity and discard.
Rinse inside and outside of the chicken and remove excess fat and pin feathers. Pat chicken dry with paper towel.
Rub chicken with olive oil. Sprinkle the chicken with half of the seasoning, and rub the outside until evenly coated.
Put the chicken in a large bowl, and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours, or (preferably overnight).
Preheat oven to 375F (190C) degrees.
Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and sprinkle with the remainder of the seasoning.
Pour beer and water in a 16 oz. mason jar then add the thyme, garlic, lemon, and bay leaves.
Place the chicken on the mason jar by grabbing a chicken leg in each hand and plunking its cavity over the jar.
Place the jar with the chicken on a deep dripping pan. Fill up pan with half an inch of water.
Place chicken on the lowest rack in the oven and roast for 1 ¼ hours (75 minutes).
Increase the temp to 425F (220C) and roast for 15 more minutes until the skin becomes golden brown. Check the inside temperature at the thickest point of the breast to make sure it’s over 165F.
Remove roasted chicken from the oven, wrap it in aluminum foil, and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
Carve chicken, sprinkle with coarse sea salt, and serve with grilled vegetables.

Notes

After handling chicken make sure you wash your hands with soap to avoid cross-contamination. Also, disinfect work station with kitchen disinfectant.
Handle the roasted chicken with a lot of care because it will be so tender that the meat will be falling off the bones.

Creamy Basil Chickpea Chicken

February 02, 2016 by Aurel Pop in Main Dish

Austin winters are odd. I’m not sure why are they called winters in Austin, because in reality, they are just transitory seasons between the hot fall and the even hotter spring. Winters in here get me all confused. Not long ago, a random Santa emerged from nowhere through the backyard of the school where I attend a group workout. I had to think for a several seconds about the month and, hell, even the season we are in. Is it December? No. I remember making resolutions (hence the workout), so it must be past New Year.

This last weekend further confused matters. Temperatures were in the 70s (Fahrenheit that is), and the sun was shining. I decided to make the most of it, so after playing morning fetch with Popsi, I put on my sunglasses and headed to brunch. The weather was so nice that I decided to roam around the city for a bit. It was so energizing people everywhere were wearing t-shirts, and some even wore shorts. When I got home, instead of my usual siesta, I decided to set up the hammock in the backyard, pick up a book, and read while the warm Texas sun filled me with much-needed vitamin D.

I woke from my sun-induced slumber thinking about the skype date I had with my grandma Buna the other day. She reminded me of how cold it is right now back in Romania. I had somehow forgotten that in Romania, January was the coldest and most depressing time of year. Everyone hibernates to avoid the frozen greyness, and the cities are numb and lifeless until snow falls. The snow brings a buzz of life. It brings chaos.

One does not truly appreciate sunshine until faced with a rough winter. Imagine waking at 8 a.m., looking out your window, and realizing that the only source of light is the old street lamp that reflects its yellow glare on the frozen pavement. The sun hasn’t come up yet, and chances are, it will not come up before you get to work. By the time you finish work at 5 p.m., it’s dark again. By the end of the week you realize that there is good chance that you haven’t seen sunshine that week. So you’re waiting for the weekend, only so you can catch those very few hours when the sun is up.

Saunas, thermal baths, tanning salons and bars are most profitable during those months. Hearty food is also a good remedy. There is something special about eating a bowl of fragrant Chicken Paprikas, a few Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, or a hearty portion of Beef Goulash when it’s cold outside. But I live in Austin now where it’s always warm and sunny. I have to settle for something like this Creamy Basil Chickpea Chicken dish. It’s not too heavy, but it has hummus, chickpeas and fresh basil in it. It’s light yet filling. Make it, and your kitchen will smell like heaven. Enjoy!

Creamy Basil Chickpea Chicken

Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Inactive time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

2 cans chickpeas (14oz each)
2 Tbsp tahini
3 garlic cloves, crushed
20 fresh basil leaves
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 a medium-sized lemon)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
2 Tbsp canola oil
3 lbs bone-in chicken (thighs, drums, or breast)
3 Tbsp butter
3 sprigs of basil
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup dry white wine

Instructions

Open two cans of chickpeas, and drain the juice from one can only.
In a food processor, combine the drained can of chickpeas, tahini, two crushed garlic cloves, basil leaves, one tablespoon lemon juice, salt, and white pepper. Pulse until you reach a smooth paste-like consistency. Congrats -- you just made hummus! Set aside.
Preheat oven to 400F (200C) degrees.
In an oven safe heavy skillet bring canola oil to a shimmer over medium-high heat. When it easily slides across the skillet, carefully place the chicken pieces in the pan with the skin side down. Brown them for approximately 4-6 minutes.
Flip the chicken on the other side and repeat the browning process so each side is nicely seared.
Add butter, the remaining clove of crushed garlic, and the basil sprigs. Using a big spoon, baste the chicken pieces for about 3 minutes on each side.
Using a thermometer, check the internal temperature of the chicken. At this point it should be at around 130-140F (55-60C). If not, cook until it reaches that temperature.
Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Discard the garlic and basil, but keep the skillet on the stove.
Deglaze the skillet with white wine and cook until the wine thickens and the alcohol evaporates, about 3 minutes. Add the hummus and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the remaining can of chickpeas with juice. Return the browned chicken pieces to the skillet.
Put the skillet in the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Serve hot with baguette or pita bread. Optionally, sprinkle with freshly squeezed fresh lemon juice.

Notes

Deglazing is a cooking technique that sounds a lot fancier and more difficult than it actually is. Deglazing simply means that after pan-frying or sautèing, you pour liquid of some sort (in our case wine) to the hot frying pan or skillet. Then you scrape and stir the browned bits (in our case browned chicken skin and garlic) from the pan to incorporate all cooking residues into a rich and flavorful liquid.
If you don’t have a thermometer, poke the chicken with the tip of a sharp knife, preferably close to bone, or, in case of the breast, where it is the thickest. If it’s bleeding red juice, keep cooking it for a few minutes.
Sprinkle the skillet with fresh basil leaves. Make sure you do it right before serving the dish, otherwise the basil will turn brown.

Moroccan Chicken with Jalapeño Garlic Yogurt Dipping

August 10, 2015 by Aurel Pop in Appetizer, Condiment

Nothing says summer like grilling and a cold beer. Grilling meats ranks very high up on the "manliest things to do" list. It's such an ego boosting experience to serve your partner or friends a perfectly cooked piece of sizzling meat. If you think about the amount of effort that goes into grilling you realize that it's the best possible return on time and skills investment. I'm not to say that grilling is the most simple type of cooking, but in all honesty, I strongly believe that any man is able to do it. Especially if there is cold beer involved.

In my opinion, the secret to perfectly grilled meat lies in the marinade or rub that you used. This recipe calls for an exotic North African mix of fragrant spices like cumin, cinnamon and coriander that will elevate the bland flavor of the chicken breast. Chicken breast is actually one of my least favorite meats to cook. It's bland and hard to cook. If you undercook it, you risk getting yourself and your guests sick with salmonella. If you overcook chicken breast, it gets dry and ends up tasting how I imagine a rubber shoe sole tastes.

Personally I prefer making these kabobs with boneless chicken thighs or lamb. If you decide to use lamb, you'll need to marinade it a bit longer, preferably overnight. As far as cooking is concerned, grilling lamb may take less than 15 minutes if you like it medium or rare. If you're afraid of the strong and bold gamey flavor, be assured that the fragrant spices in this recipe will neutralize it a bit.

I usually serve these kebobs with warm pita bread and a garlicky, slightly spicy yogurt sauce that contrasts well with the sweetness of the meat. Besseha!

Moroccan Chicken with Jalapeño Garlic Yogurt Dipping

Serves 2-3
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Inactive time: 2 hours

Ingredients

1 lb boneless chicken, cut into 1-inch cubes (breast or thighs or lamb)
1 lemon, juiced
2 garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped
1/2 inch ginger, crushed and finely chopped
3 TBS olive oil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili
1 tsp Spanish paprika
1/2 tsp smoked paprika, optional
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp olive oil
1/3 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
coarse sea salt, to taste

Jalapeño Garlic Yogurt Dip

1 garlic clove, crushed and roughly chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sunflower seed oil (or peanut, canola, or vegetable)
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 medium lime, juiced (juice of 3 key limes or 2-3 TBS fresh lime juice)
2 tsp sunflower seed oil (or peanut, canola, or vegetable)
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
2-3 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

Instructions

Put the chicken chunks in a large ziplock bag or in a non-metalic medium sized bowl. Add lemon juice, garlic, ginger, olive oil, dried oregano, coriander, cumin, chili, Spanish paprika, smoked paprika, cinnamon, black pepper and salt. Mix them well, massaging the marinade into the meat. Put the ziplock in the refrigerator and let it rest for at least two hours.
While the chicken is marinating, mix garlic, salt and one teaspoon oil with a pestle and mortar. Crush garlic and mix until you get a smooth garlic paste. Add mustard, lime juice and remaining oil. Mix well. Move the paste into a small bowl and mix in yogurt, jalapeño, parsley, mint and black pepper. Give it one more stir, taste and adjust seasoning. Let the sauce cool in the refrigerator while you take care of the chicken.
Preheat grill to 450F (230C ) degrees. Prepare a few metal skewers or bamboo sticks. Remove chicken from the marinade. Discard the marinade. Thread an equal amount of chicken chunks on the skewers. Make sure you're not threading them too tightly, as they won't cook evenly and you don't want to serve uncooked chicken.
Place skewers on a hot grill and cook for 15-20 minutes turning them every now and then. If you have a thermometer make sure the inside temperature of the chicken reaches 162-165F (72-73C) degrees.
When done, remove the skewers from the grill, cover with aluminum foil and let them rest for 5-10 minutes.
Sprinkle with olive oil, parsley and coarse sea salt. Serve warm with garlic jalapeño sauce.

Notes

If using bamboo skewers, make sure you soak them in cold water for at least half an hour. That will prevent the sticks from burning while grilling the meat.

Creamy Leeks with Pan Roasted Chicken

May 14, 2015 by Aurel Pop in Main Dish, Side Dish

When I started this blog I made a calendar where I mapped out the posts for the next few months. Although I'm not quite a planner, I really wanted to make this blog happen, so I had to set myself up for success.

I knew that cooking would not be a problem- that's how I relax after a long day at work and I'd do it anyway. What was scary was the commitment itself- the commitment of taking pictures while cooking, writing down the recipes and following them (instead of just winging it like I usually do), processing the pictures and last but not least, the scariest of all, writing. No matter how confident you feel about understanding and speaking a foreign language, the idea that you're committing to writing in it is intimidating.

Fortunately, I've always loved challenges and I'm adventurous and stubborn enough to think that it is indeed a good idea. Truth to be told, I do have an amazing editor/taste tester to help me.

I post two recipes a week: a simple one, like a breakfast, a brunch or a quick bite, and a second one that's more elaborate and time-consuming. There is a logic to the order in which I post as well, but the problem is that, more often than not, I derail from my own masterplan. I always find good reasons to- let it be my mood, the weather or the delivered veggie box from my the local CSA.

The ice cubes are homemade chicken stock that I freeze in an ice maker tray. Whenever I need some stock I just pop a few out. — The ice cubes are homemade chicken stock that I freeze in an ice maker tray. Whenever I need some stock I just pop a few out.

This week was the weather. Initially, I wanted to transition to less hearty meals and more seasonal, lighter dishes like pastas, salads and such. Then the weather started playing tricks on me. Usually May in Austin is already unbearably hot, but for some reason this year it's been very mild and rainy. It’s been raining seemingly nonstop for weeks now. The flash flood alerts on my phone won't stop giving me a heart attack when they go off at random times.

The weather, combined with the leeks that I found in the weekly delivery, made me choose this recipe. I've done this dish several times before, but somehow it always manages to surprise me with its taste.

When you're roasting the chicken you can go with different aromatic herbs if rosemary doesn't cut it for you. I personally would have used tarragon had my neighbor grown that instead of rosemary. Sometimes I take my dog on a walk with the intention of picking a few branches just to keep the otherwise invasive rosemary population under control. I may be renting, but I care about our neighborhood!

The situation with the green couscous was completely different, though. I had parsley from the CSA and my little herb garden started producing herbs to my surprise. They have to survive the weather and hurricane Popsi (a.k.a. the dog). The mint, sage, oregano and chives all came from there.

The inspiration for this side dish was Jacques Pepin's green couscous. Roni did the mistake of getting me the full edition DVD of Essential Pepin as a birthday gift last year. Ever since, I don't cook with 90's Euro techno music blasting in the background, but with Pepin telling stories with his cute French accent. Aww, I guess I'm getting softer as I grow older.

If you won't be able to get a hold of the same herbs as mentioned in the recipe, worry not! Replace them with what you like or what you have on hand. Whether it's thyme, basil, spinach or kale, it makes no difference. The point is to make the couscous more interesting and pleasant aesthetically by adding extra flavor to the rather bland semolina. Enjoy!

Creamy Leeks with Pan Roasted Chicken

Serves 4-6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes

Ingredients

Creamy Leeks and Pan Roasted Chicken

4 large leeks
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 sprig fresh thyme, oregano or tarragon
2 sprigs rosemary
4 cups chicken stock
1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 lbs chicken with skin and bones (thighs and drums)
1/2 black pepper, freshly ground
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 TBS peanut oil (or canola, or sunflower seed oil)
2 TBS butter
1 sprig fresh thyme, oregano or tarragon
1 sprigs rosemary
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 black pepper, freshly ground
salt, to taste
1 cup heavy cream

Green Couscous

1/2 cup parsley, roughly chopped
6 mint leaves
1 sprig oregano
3-4 sage leaves
1/4 cup chives
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 cup stock, saved from the braised leeks (or 2-3 TBS hot water)
1 cup instant couscous
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
salt, to taste
1 cup boiling water
1 TBS butter

Instructions

Creamy Leeks and Pan Roasted Chicken

Preheat oven to 425F (220C).
Clean each leek by cutting off the dark green woody leaves and the root end. Using a pairing knife slice the leek lengthwise starting from about 1/4 of inch from the root up to the leaves. Rotate the leek, and slice it again starting from the root. Fan the leeks open and place them under cold running water. Rinse out any dirt or sand until the leeks are clean.
Place leeks, garlic cloves, thyme, oregano or tarragon, two sprigs of rosemary and chicken broth in a deep oven proof skillet. Season with freshly ground pepper and a pinch of salt.
When the oven heated up, put the skillet in and cook for 30 minutes. Check after 15 minutes and stir leeks so that the ones that aren't completely covered by the stock don't burn.
In the meantime, pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
Heat up oil in a heavy cast iron skillet at medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, place the chicken pieces in the pan with the skin side down and brown for about 6-8 minutes. Flip the chicken on the other side and repeat the browning process.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook the chicken on the un-browned sides for about 5 minutes total.
Add butter, crushed garlic and aromatic herbs (rosemary, thyme or tarragon) and baste occasionally for 3-5 minutes on each side. Check the temperature of the chicken. At this point it should be at around 130-140F (55-60C).
Remove the chicken from the skillet and cover with aluminum foil until the leeks are ready.
Deglaze the pan in which you roasted the chicken by pouring in white wine. Sprinkle with a pinch of fresh ground pepper an cook for about 3 minutes. Add the cream and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Remove pan of leeks from the oven. Remove half of the stock that is left. Make sure you're not discarding it as you're going to use it for the couscous.
Mix in the chicken with its juices and the cream sauce. Stir well until the meat is covered in leeks and the white sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.
Put the chicken back in the oven for about 10 minutes.
While the chicken is in the oven prepare the couscous.

Green Couscous

Put herbs, garlic and the stock you saved from the braised leeks in a food processor. If you don't have it just, add 2-3 TBS hot water. Puree the herbs until the paste becomes smooth.
Pour the herb paste into a medium bowl then add couscous, black pepper and a pinch of salt. Mix well until the couscous is well coated.
Add hot water, mix and cover for about 10 minutes.
Remove cover and add in butter while the couscous is still hot, mixing it thoroughly. Season with more salt to your liking.
Serve couscous with the leeks, chicken and french baguette (for dipping).

Notes

Do not overload the skillet with chicken. You risk reducing the heat in the pan to the point where the chicken will not brown and will become greasy. Instead, work in batches if you have to.

Hungarian Chicken Paprikash With Parsley Nokedli

April 12, 2015 by Aurel Pop in Main Dish, Side Dish

Ever since I first though about starting a blog I knew that the first post would be my favorite dish - Chicken Paprikash, or as I know it, paprikás csirke. It's the dish that most vividly reminds me of my childhood- those cold days when my family would sit around the table and eat a big bowl (or two) of this hearty dish. Once the meat and spaetzle was gone, my mom would take out a loaf of freshly baked bread and a huge fight would ensue between my sister and I over who gets the crusty end of the loaf. We would then clean out our bowls better than any dishwasher ever could.

The first time I had a big group of friends over for dinner here in the U.S., I cooked them our family's paprikash recipe. Some of them heard of it before, some of them didn't, but everyone loved it. They loved it so much that I didn't even get leftovers which never happened to me before. And given that Eastern Europeans cook huge portions and a minimum of 3 dishes that’s saying something. The first cooking lesson my grandma ever taught me was that everything tastes better if cooked in big batches.

Many variation of this dish have evolved as it wandered its way out of Hungary, but a traditional paprikash is made with whole pieces of chicken (bones in), Hungarian waxed peppers, onions, sour cream, and of course a lot of Hungarian paprika.

I can't emphasize enough on how important the Hungarian paprika is to this dish. Its name translates to chicken with paprika. So before you ask me if you can substitute the Hungarian paprika with a different type, the answer is absolutely not. Do you think the Hungarians would name paprika their national spice if there wasn't something special and unique about it? It's not that hard to find and if you get to choose, go with the one from the town of Szeged.

Traditionally the paprikash is served with nokedli, the Hungarian variation of spaetzle, but it also can be served with mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes or fresh bread. Hungarians are very proud of their cuisine, so don’t go trying to ask for spaetzle if you find yourself in Hungary.

The secret of a good nokedli is the eggs. My mom taught me to add 1 egg for each cup of flour. That will make the nokedli rich and tasty and it will give it a beautiful yellow color. The parsley is a little twist that I added to the traditional recipe. If you don't like parsley you can omit it, or replace it with finely chopped spinach or kale.

The dish itself is very simple and comforting and it will fill your home with its rich, fragrant aroma on a cold day. So what are you waiting for? Go make it yourself before the warm summer days get here.

Jó étvágyat (bon appétit)!

Hungarian Chicken Paprikash with parsley nokedli

Serves 4-6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 75 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken Paprikash

4 TBS canola oil (for best flavor, use duck fat or lard)
2 medium yellow onions, coarsely chopped
2 TBS Hungarian paprika
5 cloves garlic, crushed and finely minced
2 TBS chicken stock
3 pounds chicken (thighs, drums, wings, breast)
2 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp caraway seeds, ground (or cumin)
1 TBS Hungarian pepper paste (Erős Pista or Red Gold), optional
3 Hungarian waxed peppers, chopped
2 tomatoes (or 2 TBS tomato paste), chopped
1 cup chicken stock
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
salt, to taste

Parsley Nokedli(Spaetzle)

4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
2 tsp peanut oil
4 eggs (pasture-raised is best)
1.5 cups water
1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
1 TBS butter
salt, to taste
1/2 black pepper, freshly ground

Instructions

Chicken Parikash

Heat up a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot. Add the oil, duck fat or lard and swirl to coat the pan. When the oil is shimmering add the chopped onions and saute for 5 minutes until the onions become translucent. Ensure that the onions don't get burned by mixing them often.
Take the pot off the heat and add the paprika, salt and pepper. Stir well.
Add garlic to the mix and return the pot to the stove. Reduce the heat to medium and add a 2 tablespoons of stock. Cook for about 5 minutes until the broth evaporates.
Add the chicken to the pot. Mix well and make sure the fragrant mix coats well each piece of chicken. Brown the chicken for about 5 minutes.
Add thyme, bay leaves, cumin, Hungarian pepper paste (if using), waxed peppers and tomato. Stir and add the remaining stock. It should almost cover the chicken. If it doesn't or if you'd like more sauce, feel free to add more broth.
Bring to a boil, cover with a lid and then reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for about 45 minutes stirring it gently every now and then.
This is the time when you can move on to prepare the nokedli.
When the chicken is done you'll see the meat falling off the bone. That's when you temper the sour cream by transferring one spoon at a time of hot gravy from the chicken to the bowl of cream. You want to slowly raise the temperature of the sour cream. This way you prevent the sour cream from curdling when added to the hot chicken. Once tempered, you pour the sour cream mixture into the pot and stir to combine.
Add salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Bring everything to a quick boil and then remove from the stove. It's ready!

Parsley Nokedli

In a bowl combine flour, salt, pepper, oil and the eggs.
Slowly add water to the flour mix until you reach a smooth and thick consistency for the dough. The dough should flow easily, but shouldn't be runny. I usually use a whisk to avoid lumps in the dough.
Mix in the finely chopped parsley. If parsley isn't your thing you can replace it with spinach or greens/herbs of your preference.
In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a good amount of salt and 1 tsp oil. Don't sweat too much over the amount of salt you add. The primary reason for adding salt to the water is to reduce the gelation of the starch in the nokedli. Adding flavor to it is just a side effect.
Use your choice of spaetzle making tool to drop the dumplings into the boiling water. My mother used to make them with a teaspoon, but I'm lazy and prefer to use a spaetzle maker. A grater or potato ricer will work as well though.
The nokedli is cooked when they float to the surface, so use a fine sieve to scoop the cooked ones from the pot. Make sure not to overcook them, because their taste and texture change when overcooked . Normally it shouldn't take more than 2-3 minutes to float to the surface, but then it all depends on their size.
Drain well and move to a bowl.
Add butter while they are still warm and sprinkle fresh ground pepper and salt all over them.

NOTES

It is important that you add the paprika when the pot is off the heat because it burns very easy and that's when it becomes bitter.