Today I wanna introduce a new series : Food from books aka the best way to mix both FOOD and BOOKS. I will be cooking recipes from books and sharing them here because well, it’s the best of both worlds. The first episode to this series is chicken paprikash from Dracula by Bram Stroker. This recipe was given to me by the mom of a friend of mine, I adapted it a bit but she’s the brain behind it!
Making this chicken paprikash from dracula
Ingredients
The ingredient list is pretty straightforward, and honestly all the ingredients are easy to find everywhere you might go.
- Chicken (all parts work well, my favorite part to use is chicken thighs, but the traditional recipe calls for chicken breasts cut in small pieces)
- Onions, garlic are the main vegetables in this recipe.
- Herbs & spices : Paprika, bay leaves, salt & pepper.
- Olive oil to make it all even better.
- Optional: Tomatoes or red bell pepper (I have never tried to cook this recipe with them but it’s sometimes something people add!)
- To make the sauce thick: Cream + flour
- Side dish: pasta, polenta, egg dumplings …
Tips to make this recipe
Some general tips to think of while making this recipe:
- Having a large pot (le creuset or similar) really works well. The meat will be tender & it will cook to perfection. You can do it in a pan, but it will be more difficult to manage & mix well all the ingredients. However, if you are cooking this for only one person, then you are more than okay with cooking it in a pan.
- Paprika is really important, it is, after all, the second most important ingredient in this recipe. You need to make sure the ingredients and oil is hot enough so that the paprika flavors can come out really well, if it is not hot enough, the flavor will be not that intense.
- It’s perfect for leftovers: I always make this in big batches and it lasts 4-6 days in the fridge (according to my experience, always make sure to smell it before you eat it!). You can also freeze it in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Similar recipes to this chicken paprikas from dracula
There aren’t many similar recipes to this one on tofucado but I have featured many one pot recipes so you can check those out:
Chicken Paprikash
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 600-800 g chicken I usually aim at 2 pieces per serving
- 3-5 onions Around 500-600g, you can add more if you want. Cut in dices
- 4 garlic cloves Minced
- 2.5 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- Water or chicken broth Enough to cover the chicken + veggies
To thicken the sauce
- 1/4 cup cream
- 4 tbsp flour
Optional
- 2 ripe tomatoes dices
- 1 red bell pepper dices
Instructions
- In a large pot, add some olive oil. When hot, add the chicken pieces. Cook them 3 minutes each side or until the skin begins to turn golden. Set aside.
- Add the onions now and cook until translucid (5-6 minutes).
- Add the minced garlic and mix well.
- If you want to add veggies: add the tomatoes & red bell pepper now.
- Now, add a bit more olive oil, wait a couple of minutes and add the paprika. Mix fast and thoroughly, the paprika needs to mix with the onion and garlic like if it was a roux.
- Add the chicken back to the pot. Cover with liquid (either water or broth), add the bay leaves and cover with the lid.
- Simmer for 40 to 60 minutes.
- When it's been 40 minutes you are cooking, on a separate pot, prepare your side dish. I was making pasta so I started boiling water with salt, then made my pasta following package instructions.
- Around the 50th minute mark, take out 1/2 of the liquid from the pot (where the chicken is being cooked). Set aside.
- In a pot, add the cream and flour and mix well. Add the sauce you removed from the chicken pot and cook at low heat until it thickens.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and add the "thickened" cream sauce to the remaining sauce. Mix well. Cook for 5 minutes then add the chicken back.
- Cook for 5 more minutes then stop the fire and let it rest for a couple more minutes.
- Serve with pasta and enjoy!
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