That’s a motto I mutter when needing to overcome the dilemma in deciding what to cook. Yes, I also feel stumped at times about what to do with the raw ingredients. Although there are favourite dishes that I do time and time again (like My Super Tasty Bolognese, recipe posted on the 13/5/13), I really enjoy the challenge of trying something new, the anticipation of tasting the results of my efforts. Of course the key word here is EFFORT and when I am feeling tired or a tad run-down then I need to be practical. I need to turn to those reliable recipes that require minimum effort but have guaranteed “wipe-the-plate-clean” and “second-servings-all-around” results. I need my “Kitchen Classics”.
One of these “classic” kitchen dishes of mine is Chicken Paprikas or Paprika Chicken. This is what I like to make when faced with a bowl of plump, raw chicken pieces staring mutely at me as I stand peering into my fridge. It’s not a pretty picture type of meal, but the flavour is superb. Plus it tastes even better the next day, so it’s worth making ahead of time when you are faced with an especially challenging array of school, family and work commitments. This is tasty, affordable and manageable family food.
It is best to cook this dish in a large, heavy cast iron pot such as a Le Creuset to retain the moisture.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 brown onions
4 cloves garlic
4 medium carrots
4 sticks celery (plus the soft pale green celery heart leaves if you have them)
2 bay leaves – fresh if available otherwise dried
2 kg chicken – This evening I used chicken tenderloins diced into large 4 cm pieces. However I prefer to use either chicken thighs on the bone with skin, or chicken breast on the bone with the skin and wing attached. Cooking chicken on the bone always imparts extra flavour throughout the entire dish.
sea salt and ground pepper to taste – about 2 teaspoons of salt
chicken stock or water – 500 mls if cooking on the stove top with more added during simmering if required, or 1 litre if slow cooking in the oven.
Finely dice the garlic and onion and sauté in olive oil over medium heat.
Chop the remaining vegetables in medium sized chunks and add to the pot with the bay leaves.
While the vegetables are sautéing, dust the chicken pieces in the plain four and paprika in a large bowl.
Remove the vegetables from the pot and place to the side. Add another splash of olive oil and then brown the chicken pieces in 3 or 4 batches, taking care not to crowd the pot or to let the pieces burn (paprika develops a nasty bitter taste if it burns). Repeat this process until all the chicken has been browned off. The flour and paprika that remain in the “dusting bowl”, should also be added at this point as it will thicken the sauce.
Add all the chicken and the vegetables to the pot, along with either the chicken stock or water and season to taste.
Clamp the lid onto the pot and bring to the boil. Give the contents a vigorous stir, then reduce the heat to LOW and simmer for one hour. Stir the Chicken Paprikas periodically to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. You can add a little boiling water if this happens. You can also cook this dish in a preheated oven at 150 degrees fan forced for 90 minutes.
When ready, ladle the Chicken Paprikas over buttered steamed rice or mashed potatoes or BOTH! My maternal grandfather Djeda Milan, did this for my brothers and I when we children as a super charged carbohydrate hit! A side serving of lightly blanched green beans or broccoli finishes this dish off perfectly.
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