Entree: Czechia – Bohemia – Kuře na paprice (Chicken pieces braised in a creamy sweet paprika sauce)

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 25 min

Cook 40 min

Additional 5 min

Total 1 hr 10 min

Ingredients

- 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces, approx. 3 lb (1.4 kg)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) lard or vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp (14 g) sweet Hungarian paprika
- 1 tsp (5 g) hot paprika (optional)
- 2 tbsp (15 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (480 ml) chicken stock
- 1 cup (240 ml) sour cream
- 1 tsp (5 ml) lemon juice
- 1½ tsp (9 g) salt
- ½ tsp (1 g) freshly ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp (8 g) chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

1. Pat the chicken pieces dry and season lightly with 1 tsp (6 g) of the salt and ¼ tsp (0.5 g) pepper. Heat the lard or oil in a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken pieces in batches until golden on all sides, about 6–8 minutes per batch; transfer to a plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium and add the chopped onion. Sauté until soft and translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Stir in the sweet paprika (and hot paprika if using) for 30 seconds, then quickly sprinkle in the flour and cook 1 minute while stirring to form a roux.
3. Gradually pour in the chicken stock while whisking to avoid lumps, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Return the browned chicken to the pan, add the bay leaves, cover, and simmer gently for 30–35 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
4. Remove the pan from the heat. In a bowl, whisk the sour cream with the lemon juice and remaining ½ tsp (3 g) salt and ¼ tsp (0.5 g) pepper; temper the sour cream by adding 2–3 tbsp (30–45 ml) of the hot cooking liquid, then stir the tempered sour cream into the sauce.
5. Return to very low heat and warm through gently for 2–3 minutes without boiling to prevent curdling. Adjust seasoning. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve hot with bread dumplings, boiled potatoes, or rice.