Recipe of the Day: Braised Paprika Chicken

I love this recipe, not only because it tastes fantastic but because I had (almost) all of the ingredients on hand!  Plus, it is a one-pot meal… well, two, if you count the rice-cooker – I have served this meal with both white and brown rice, and both are excellent companions.  

Cooking Notes
I used red, orange and yellow bell peppers instead of red and green and standard McCormick paprika.  You can cut the red pepper flakes to ½  teaspoon to cut down on the heat, which I did for a friend who had just given birth to twins, but it was really very good with the full teaspoon.  I didn’t have parsley, dill or chives the first time I made it, so I omitted them.  The second time, I garnished with parsley and it looked very pretty but didn’t add to the flavor.  I may try dill the next time I make it.  The second time we made it, my hubby forgot to add the flour to the sour cream, and I didn’t even notice the difference.

Enjoy!

Braised Paprika Chicken

Ingredients

• 3-3 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken pieces, (thighs, drumsticks and/or breasts), skin removed, trimmed (see Tip)
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 cups finely diced onions
• Pinch of sugar
• 1 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley, dill and/or chives

Preparation

1. Pat chicken pieces dry with paper towels and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil and butter in a large heavy casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and sprinkle with sugar. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are very soft and light brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Stir in bell peppers, tomato paste, paprika and crushed red pepper. Add the chicken and stir it gently into the onion mixture. Sprinkle with marjoram and add broth. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and simmer over medium-low heat until the chicken is very tender, about 50 minutes.
4. Just before the chicken is done, whisk sour cream, flour and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until smooth.
5. When the chicken is done, remove it to a plate. Stir the sour cream mixture into the sauce; return to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the sauce coats the spoon. Reduce heat to low, return the chicken to the sauce and reheat, about 1 minute. Serve garnished with parsley, dill and/or chives, if desired.  6 servings.

Recipe & Photo Source: Eating Well

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