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
Using a sheet pan to make chicken paprikash updates the dish’s
Use absolutely fresh paprika; it should be bright red with a rich aroma. 5to6 medium-size yellow roasting potatoes, about 1 ¼ pounds total, scrubbed 1½ teaspoon hot paprika or ¼ teaspoon cayenne 2to3 tablespoons sour cream or creme fraiche
Buttered noodles (optional), see recipe 1. Heat
Whole roasted chicken: Use a 4- to 5-pound whole broiler chicken and remove the giblets and extra pockets of fat. Tuck the wings behind the back. Place chicken on a 16-by-12-inch baking sheet. Rub chicken on all sides with half of the seasoning mixture. Roast, breast side up, at 400 degrees on convection setting or 425 degrees on conventional for 20 minutes. Add potatoes and onions to pan; toss with remaining seasoning mixture and drizzle with oil. Continue roasting, stirring vegetables once or twice, until potatoes are fork-tender and chicken juices run clear, 35 to 40 minutes more. Let chicken rest 10 minutes before carving. Make pan sauce as directed in step 4.
Buttered noodles:
Nutrition information per serving: 395 calories, 23 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 132 mg cholesterol, 22 g carbohydrates, 3 g sugar, 26 g protein, 695 mg sodium, 4 g fiber