Tuesday, November 06, 2012

Kitchen Queen Contest Entry #4 - Kevin's Poulet Au Paprika

Kitchen Queen Contest Entry #4 - Kevin's Poulet Au Paprika

I'm submitting a lovely little recipe, made famous by Laura Calder, but i've adapted. it's perfect for the fall season!



Poulet Au Paprika!!

Ingredients

• I never eat meat on the bone, so I like to use 4 big boneless chicken breasts, but you can use 4 chicken legs, split between thigh and drumstick if you’re some sort of caveperson.

• 1 pinch Salt and pepper

• 1 tablespoon bacon drippings or oil. I keep my bacon fat in what I call The Fat Can, in my freezer so it doesn’t stink.

• 1 red pepper, cut into roughly 2-inch/5 cm julienne. That’s French for thin strips, bitches.

• 1 onion, sliced, not diced!

• You could use half of a small fennel bulb, finely chopped, but I’m not sure why you’d want to ruin a perfectly lovely dish.

• 1 tablespoon high-quality hot or sweet Hungarian paprika. I opt for sweet, because it’s still pretty hot.

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup white wine. Plonk is fine; I use a buttery Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. Where did I put my wine glass?

• 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

• 1 bay leaf

• 2 tablespoons sour cream, or crème fraîche, if you’re a fancy bitch like me.

• A lovely squeeze of lemon juice (which is totally optional, but I always do it!)

Directions

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the fat in a sauté pan, or even better, a cast iron dutch oven like a Le Creuset and brown the meat on all sides. Don’t overcrowd the pan; work in batches if you must.

Remove the chicken and drain off all but a tablespoon of fat from the pan. Lower the heat and add the julienned pepper, onion, (here’s where you’ll add the fennel if you’re using it), and paprika. Cook until soft, but not coloured, about 12 minutes, adding the garlic for the final minute.

Deglaze the pan with the wine. A few stirs with a wooden spoon will bring up all those delicious brown bits on the bottom of your pan!

Add the tomatoes and bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Put the chicken back in. Cover the pan, and cook, turning the meat occasionally, until tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove the chicken to a serving platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Turn up the heat under the sauce and boil down to sauce consistency, about 8-10 minutes.

Turn off the heat, stir through the sour cream or fancy crème fraiche and then check the seasonings (including the paprika, adding more if you like). Pour over the chicken, and serve with roasted or mashed potatoes.

48 comments:

  1. First of all. Kabuki do love some chiken

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  2. Replies
    1. (i even bought paprika in budapest.)

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    2. Are you one of the Gabor Sisters, dahlink?

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    3. hope i'm not the one hopping
      around the living room.

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    4. You may be hopping about, Norma, but your slapping hand hasn’t lost its magic.

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    5. tonight, i wish i had that other gabor leg. i'd love to slap mitt romney with it and knock him out.

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    6. Do it for the Gabors, Norma!!!

      Do it for AMERICA!!!

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  3. i made this for sunday dinner! it got stuck in my mind and i simply had to have it. survey says: i win.

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    Replies
    1. ATTENTION BITCHES: "KDNA" is Kevin.

      I simply can't keep up with his costume changes.

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  4. My Hungarian blood is boiling within me...

    Looks to be a wonderful take on a provincial dish, I will give this a try the next time I make paprikash, though I will still serve it with dumpling...

    Yum & I miss Nana Anna.

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  5. Looks delicious! I think I would make it with skinless breasts.

    After this and Jon's entry, I am thinking of changing my recipe to a French name!

    PS: Did I win yet?

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  6. This sounds heaven, and I agree: what on earth would fennel do in this?

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    Replies
    1. Fennel can easily be confused with poison hemlock.

      So if you're hosting one of those murder mystery parties...

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  7. I knew all these recipes would be completely wasted on me... I'm not supposed to be thinking about all the washing up, am I?
    Sx

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    Replies
    1. You've provided The Smeg so you're relieved of washing up duties.

      And speaking of costume changes...

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  8. 2am here and I WANT THIS DISH. Someone make it while I go to bed. I'll have it for breakfast. Awesome entry!!!!

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    Replies
    1. 5:15 a.m. here and I WISH I was in bed.

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    2. She offered her honor
      He honored her offer
      And all night long
      He was on her and off her!

      Delete
  9. Saindoux sound so much nicer than bacon drippings. My maid of all work, Carmen, can't abide meat on the bone either and I have a repulsion to all meat, so bring in the dessert trolley maintenant!

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    Replies
    1. I'd try it with tofu: Casserole de Tofu au Paprika!

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    2. Just two veg for you, Mitzi?

      Hold the meat?

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  10. This is the kind of recipe every chicken would be proud to die for! I'm so making this one no later than tonight!

    I do LOVE fennel, but I also don't think it would go well with this... but I don't speak hungarian either, so...

    The best entry of the contest so far!

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    Replies
    1. Off topic here: You must have felt the earthquake around 4:05 AM this morning MJ? The epicenter was located in Gatineau! Magnitude 4.2, so no sweat. It was even kinda thrilling! But we usually get these only once every two years. This is the third time in less than two months!!!

      Is southern Quebec turning into California? I wouldn't mind the nice weather, but I could do without all that shaking and stirring.

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    2. Southern California is turning into Canada. Kabuki is hip deep in Canuck snowbirds. Gonna get a van and set poutine by the side of the road.

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    3. Aint you bitchin. I thought I had all the Canucks. WHY WON'T YOU PEOPLE STAY IN YOUR OWN COUNTRY???

      ...maybe it's the earthquakes, huh?

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    4. Earthquake? Did the Mistress have another orgasm?
      *Dials Hawaii to warn of third wave*

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    5. Did the earth move for you?

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    6. I awoke at EXACTLY 4:05 am!

      However, I was unaware that it was an earthquake that had awoken me. I just thought it was a bit of gas!

      Delete
  11. Replies
    1. COOKIE, could you reach down and flick MARGARET on the head for me?

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  12. Will I ruin the recipe if I want to pinch the salt and pepper more than once?

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  13. Did any of you make this for me like you promised last night? *taps foot impatiently*

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    Replies
    1. Hop on your hog, dear. I'm making this as I'm typing this comment. It'll be ready in about 30 minutes! D'ya think you can make it? Sumas - Montreal... in 30 miserable minutes!

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    2. You can follow my progress on CNN as I ride eastward through the Red states trailing a banner reading 'Vote Obama, Morons'. And mercy bookoo to you woo woo!

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    3. ..lost my head there for a moment. It was all the French.
      Carry on.

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    4. I can make it to your house before Nations can!

      *arrival time may vary according to movement of tectonic plates*

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    5. Your arousal time depends on the movement of tectonic plates??????

      I'm confused now!

      Delete
  14. Listen up Bitches. I made KDNA's Poulet Paprika yesterday for dinner and it was MUCHO YUMMO!

    Yesterday morning, since it was my turn to make dinner, I pulled two miserable chicken legs out of the freezer with no idea on how I would cook these thing. Then I logged on to the Infomaniac (almost the only blog I have time to visit lately) and BANG, there was Kevin's recipe made just for me. It was the call of destiny.

    Now, I must say that my mother is not too keen about paprika. Just saying the word and she'll looked at you as if you're trying to make her eat someting you picked up from the sewers (which some of you bitches you not mind at all).

    So when she saw me getting busy in the kitchen around 4 o'clock, she asked what I was making. I just frozed there in my motion for a few seconds before I got hit with inspiration:

    - "I'm making Poulet Magyar" I said! (God! I can be so brilliant sometimes!). To this she replied:

    -"Is that another one of your crappy Thaï recipe?"


    I love my mom!


    Anyho, since I cannot afford fancy, I had no other choice but use a cheap zinfandel from that land over there... you know... that land in the future... and I confess I added a tad of smoked paprika to the original recipe.

    After I added the crème fraîche (this is not a typo, the "i" does need its cute little hat here, don't ask me why!) and that zing of lemon, I felt the paprika was still coming out too strong, mom's taste buds you start a rebellion. So I add a pinch of sugar... well maybe two and it was perfect.

    We both loved it. I almost licked my plate clean!!! It's so much filled with flavour and taste. And there was so much sauce left, we tore up some ciabbata bread in small pieces and dipped them in the sauce. Divin ravissement

    And there was still more sauce left. So today, for lunch, I'm gonna make myself a batch of French fries... sprinkle some cheese curds... you know where I'm gettin at don't you... and YES, I will pour the sauce with those tasty onions and red peppers all over it, and you can bet your ass I'm gonna eat it all.

    POUTINE MAGYAR!

    It's gonna be a big hit, lemme tell ya. I should have this copyright. I'm gonna be rich. I'm gonna be big! And next time I'll make KDNA's Poulet au Paprika, I'm not gonna use a cheap Zinfandel, not even a Chardonnay but a Tokay, YES, a real Tokay from Hungry!

    Cheers!

    Hugs
    Jon

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  15. Are you going to set up a "cabane à patates," Huggy Jon?

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  16. When do Canadians vote for their Moose King? You could serve this at the celebration party, which kabuki is gonna guess is at the falls.

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