Chicken Paprikash and Spatzle

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken chicken breast

• 1/3 cup flour for dusting chicken

• 1 large onion, chopped (2 cups)

• 2 cups chicken stock

• 6 tablespoons good quality hungarian sweet paprika (Budapest’s best!)

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch + 3 tablespoons cold water whisked together into a slurry

• 1 cup sour cream

Spatzle-

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 2 teaspoon sea salt

• 4 eggs

• 1/3 cups milk

• tiny pinch of nutmeg
  

Chicken Paprikash-

Chop chicken into 1” pieces and dry and dust lightly with flour. You can easily do this by putting chicken and flour in gallon bag then sealing bag and shaking.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat until it is hot. Melt ¼ cup butter. Add chicken, paprika, salt and pepper, and sauté until the chicken is lightly browned. (5 minutes)

Remove chicken from pan and tent loosely with foil.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to pan and sauté onions until they are translucent.

Return chicken to the pan.

Add chicken stock and gently simmer over low heat until chicken is cooked through. (Another 10 minutes)

Remove chicken from the pan and tent loosely with foil.

Stir cornstarch slurry into the pan and boil until the sauce has thickened to your taste.

Add sour cream and return chicken to the pan and coat with the sauce.

Serve with spatzle.

Prepare the Spatzle-

Make the spatzle while your chicken is simmering in the stock.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Whisk together flour and salt in a medium bowl.

Make a well in the middle and add the eggs, nutmeg and milk.

Stir until the batter is smooth and thick.

Drop batter (each dollop about a teaspoon) into boiling water with a spoon; dipping the spoon into the water each time. (Or use traditional spatzle maker! if you do they float to the top almost instantly and are ready to go)

Cook only half the dough at a time to avoid over crowding. Stir the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, so that the dumplings will rise to the top. After the dumplings rise to the top, let them boil about 2 minutes more.

Remove to a large colander and drain while you repeat the process with the second half of the batter.