Chachalicious Chicken Paprikash

This recipe is a family recipe that I have modified of course over the years. Growing up, it was my favourite dish of all time that my Hungarian grandmother made for special occasions. A batch always on my birthday along with Dobos Torte, it was heavenly. 

When I started creating my own traditions as a wife and momma, it only felt right to let this recipe grow up with me. I'm really the only one that makes it in all of our extended family and therefore love making it when anyone comes home or I'm visiting the relatives. EVERYONE dies for it. I make it on request and it is usually one of our big holiday meals. The only bad thing is the food coma afterwards. I've shared the recipe many, many times and now am writing this so that I can share it with Maverick. 

Maverick is my one of best and oldest friend's son, he contacted me the other day to ask for the recipe. Wendy, Dan, Mav and Morgan came to have a Christmas din with us and because we share our Hungarian heritage, I made them my famous Paprikash. I'm so happy it was a hit. We of course served up Vinetarta (recipe in blog already) for dessert to satisfy the other side of our heritage, yes they are Icelandic vikings too.  There is nothing so special as sharing family recipes but also sharing table time with amazing people. 

I like to make this early and let it cook on low for several hours. I serve it with what my grandmother called "Granny's Rice" which she also made especially for me a thousand times. I also make this early and let it sit on the stove, it makes the rice soft and fluffy. I will include the recipe for that as well as you can't have one without the other.  Now, be warned, this is NOT a calorie conscious recipe and I think it's sacreligious to make it so, it's just not the same nor as good. 

I will add a picture to this once I make it again. I wanted to get this out because Mav has company to cook for. Now you might have to adjust the meat quantities as I am usually cooking for a crowd but I will give the recipe to cook for 4-6 people. I am putting it down on paper because I realized that the recipe in my recipe book no one would understand but me. 

I usually use chicken thighs as they are more tender and they soak up the flavour better than breasts, breasts I just find too dry. I allot 3-4 thighs per person, trust me, 2 isn't close to being enough, besides, everyone here loves the leftovers.

the recipe....

12-16 chicken thighs
1 cup of flour mixed with Hungarian paprika (can use regular), parsley, 1 tsp of onion powder, salt and pepper to taste
​Add Cayenne pepper to taste depending on your heat preferences
Dredge the thighs in the flour mixture.

1 large onion diced
add oil to the bottom of the pan
2 lengths sliced Hungarian sausage (medium heat)
1 package of bacon, sliced up in bits and quick fried
3 tbsp Hungarian Paprika
Fry all of this up until bacon is cooked and onions are clear.
Once it's fried up, transfer and strain into a roaster. Keep the juices in the frying pan.

In the same frying pan with the leftover bits and juice from the previous stuff, you are going to fry up the chicken.
1/2 inch of vegetable or canola oil
heat up the oil and get the chicken ready to fry. 
After dredging the chicken, cover the bottom of the pan and fry until slightly browned on both sides. You will have to do this in batches. As you are finished frying the chicken, add it to the other ingredients in the roaster. 
Add another tbsp of Hungarian to the chicken as you are frying it up. 
You will have to add more oil to the pan after every batch you fry as it soaks it up. Take the last bit of chicken out of the fry pan and transfer.

With what's left in the pan, add:
1 litre of WHIPPING CREAM, YES FULL ON WHIPPING CREAM
1 large sour cream, full fat
2 tbsps of vinegar
Heat it in the frying pan, stirring consistently to get all the bits off the bottom of the pan. Pour this mixture over all the ingredients in the roaster. 

Bake on 300 degrees for at least 3 hours. or 350 degrees for an hour and a half if you're in a rush. 

EDIT: December 2023

Yes, an instant pot rendition. Did I mention How the instant pot has changed my life?
I now add all of the ingredients except the cream and sour cream into the instant pot and saute just to get some chicken bits and extra flavour, then I add all of the other ingredients on top and I pressure cook for 30 minutes. that's it. It the sauce is too runny, add a flour mixture to thicken.