So, the thought of turkey makes you shiver. If you have another bite of stuffing or cranberry sauce, you swear it’s going to be the last thing you’ll ever do.
Do you still have leftovers in the fridge? How many turkey sandwiches can a person possibly eat?
Well, here’s a family recipe that might offer a bit of a vacation from your vacation, for your taste buds at least.
And, don’t think I am trying to share some sort of New Year’s resolution-friendly, calorie-counter of a meal with you. I wouldn’t do that to Edify readers.
The first time I cooked for the woman who would become my wife, I made this dish. Just saying.
First, dice up the garlic, onion and red peppers as fine as you can. If you have a KitchenAid or some sort of other food processor, put it to work. I won’t tell anyone that you used technology to help you.
Place the chopped up peppers, onions, garlic in some vegetable or canola oil, in as wide and deep a pan as you’ve got. Place that on medium heat, until the onions become translucent.
Then, lay the chicken into the pan, just long enough for the skin to sear.
After the skin is seared, place at least two tablespoons of paprika over everything, then roll the pieces of chicken around with some tongs to make sure everything is covered. Then, add water, till it gets to the point where about half of the chicken is submerged. Quarter the small tomato and place the pieces into the pan. OPTION: If you like a little tartness, add a tablespoon of red wine vinegar.
Turn the chicken every now and then. The stew part of this is done when the chicken starts coming off the bone and you notice that most of your vegetable mix has turned into gravy.
Place two cups of flour into a mixing bowl. Add an egg (you might want to crack it, first) and then just enough water that the mix is about the same consistency as the glue you used and got all over your hands in Grade 1.
Boil a large pot of water, with the water about halfway to the top. Add a pinch of salt to the water. Then, slowly scrape off little pieces of the dough into the boiling water. The dumplings are done when they float to the top. Don’t overfill the pot, because you’re basically putting flour into boiling water, and science takes over. It will overflow if you’re not careful.
Then, place dumplings onto a plate, add some chicken and the paprika sauce over it, then mix in some sour cream. And don’t dare use the low-fat stuff, because that is… not good. Sour cream is meant to be thick, not runny, hence the use of the word, “cream.”
Enjoy with a nice Hungarian red wine. Yes, even though it’s chicken, go with a red from Székszárd, which you can find in Edmonton. The deep flavours of the paprika sauce makes the red a good accompaniment.
