Paprika Chicken

A couple of years ago I worked as a waitress at a Czech restaurant in Balmain called La Boheme. Before this I hadn't had very much experience with Eastern European food but I soon learned to love it, even in the middle of summer. This dish was not on the regular menu, it was made occasionally as a special and more frequently as dinner for the staff. The restaurant served it with macaroni or rigatoni and I've had it at a Hungarian restaurant served with spaetzle.

In this version I've served it with risoni which I kind of see as sitting in between macaroni and spaetzel. It's perfect on colder nights as it is very warming and hearty. It's best when slow cooked until the chicken just starts to disintegrate although the cooking time can be shorten if you are short on time.

Slow cook the chicken in white wine, chicken stock and paprika

Add the sour cream and extra paprika 5mins before serving

Serve on a bed of risoni

Ingredients:

2 chicken thighs, diced

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 cup white wine

1 cup chicken stock

1 tbsp paprika

75g sour cream

10 tbsp risoni 

Method:

Over a medium high heat fry the onions and the garlic until softened in a small amount of canola oil. Add the chicken and fry until brown. Stir in the wine, stock and half the paprika. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer on a low heat for two hours, removing the lid for the final hour to allow the stock to reduce.

20 mins before serving bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Add the risoni and cook until al dente.

Add the sour cream and remaining paprika to the chicken mixture and cook for a further 5 mins.