Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
A new spin on a cozy classic
Sheet-pan paprikash intensifies flavor
At this time of the year, leaving the house proves challenging. Best to stay in and cook. Smell the goodness, feel the coziness.
My favorite comfort foods tend to be close to my roots. I get nostalgic for simple suppers at my gram’s, the flavors she coaxed from just a few ingredients. Potatoes and noodles to fill us up. The Hungarian paprika my grandfather brought home from the butcher in a brown paper sack, smelling of earthy, sweet chiles.
A cut-up chicken, or chunks of pork, would simmer to tenderness with that paprika, a few cloves of fresh garlic and water. We’d play card games until dinner was ready. Nothing to fuss over as the combination was ladled into flowered porcelain bowls.
What lingers is the desire to gather with family at the table with no real agenda, with food that nourishes, tastes delicious, but causes no stress for the cook. To impart to the children the beauty of generations dining together: That’s the true benefit of home cooking.
This winter, I’m paying tribute to the gone, but never forgotten, family elders with an ovenroasted version of chicken paprikash — the classic dish from Hungary.
Similar to goulash in that paprika-seasoned beef, chicken or veal simmers to tenderness in water, paprikash has the distinction of a sour cream finish. My mother preferred to make paprikash, while her mother mostly made a brothy goulash.
I like making sheet-pan paprikash. The hot oven and a large rimmed baking sheet allow me to reduce
cooking time, concentrate flavors and improve texture more in line with today’s tastes.
The chicken skin crisps, the potatoes and onions brown to golden, and the paprika’s natural sweetness intensifies with the dry heat.
After everything is cooked, I deglaze the pan with water and then swirl in a bit of sour cream for a simple sauce to spoon over the chicken or buttered noodles.
For the fastest dinner, I choose bone-in, skin-on, chicken thighs. They’re easy to serve and always stay moist. Bone-in pork loin chops are great here too; 1-inch-thick chops will cook in about the same time as the chicken thighs. Whole roasted chicken is synonymous with comfort cooking, so I’ve included for it as well; it typically requires 20 extra minutes of oven time.
Paprika is made from ripe, red chile peppers that are dried and powdered. In the United States, sweet paprika is an underrated spice because it’s often stale and flavorless. We tend to keep a jar for years, but the powder stales quickly and the color fades. If you don’t know how old your paprika is, taste it. If it’s pale orange and flavorless, start over. Fresh paprika is a deeper, darker red color than the ripest tomatoes. The aroma should be sweet and a bit musky.
Most supermarkets carry sweet paprika. I like the Szeged brand imported from Hungary. Or, order Hungarian or Spanish paprika on the internet from spice shops. If you like heat, try subbing in
some “half-sharp” (spicy) paprika for the sweet. Or swap in a teaspoon or so of smoked paprika for a different take. Of course, don’t confuse paprika with cayenne pepper, that superhot chile powder.
I like to take advantage of the flavors in the pan drippings and boil water in the pan to make a fast sauce. This boiling works to dissolve all the stuck-on bits, so cleanup is a snap!
For dessert, I suggest sauteing apples in butter with raisins and cinnamon — sort of like a crustless apple strudel. Top it with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream, flavored with just a smidgen of smoke or sweet paprika for intrigue.
I believe comfort food means not focusing on
calories and carbs. Of course, you can skip eating the chicken skin and opt out of the sour cream and pan juices if you have concerns. Otherwise, gather the family and friends and enjoy the warmth.
Pan tips
■ Use a heavy pan that doesn’t warp in the oven.
■ Use a large enough pan — better to have room around the food than a packed-tight version that prevents crispness.
■ Use plenty of seasoning: Since there’s no direct heat on the foods, all the flavor comes from the seasonings.
■ Use a convection setting, if you have it; the circulating hot air promotes browning.