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.
