Chicken Paprikas + Nokedli (Hungarian Spaetzle)

mmmm Chicken Paprikas... a Hungarian staple that requires only four main ingredients. Pairing it with anything other than the classic nokedli would be a sin.

Paprikas Csirke (Chicken Paprikash)

Serves 4

Chicken legs and thighs, bone in and skin on, about 8 total (don't use white meat - you'll be sacrificing flavor)

1/4 cup Hungarian Paprika

2-3 medium yellow or white onions, chopped

1 cup sour cream

Light colored oil (like canola or vegetable)

Salt to taste

In a deep pot, toss the onions in the oil over medium heat until translucent, take care not to caramelize or crisp them. Stir in the paprika. Be very careful not to burn the paprika; as the name suggests, this is the main flavor.. burnt paprika is bitter. Add the chicken and fill with water, about half way. The chicken should release some juice. Add salt to taste and let simmer until chicken is fully cooked. If your liquid level goes below the half-point, add more water. Stir in sour cream and serve with nokedli.

Nokedli

435 g (3 cups) flour

2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

240 ml (1 cup)  tepid water, plus more as needed (up to about 2 cups/480 ml)

Mix all ingredients with a wooden spoon until you get a stretchy, not sticky, very thick almost dough-like batter. (think suuuuper thick pancake batter or veeery loose bread dough). Do not over mix the batter. You will get rubbery nokedli. Let sit for 10 minutes. Using a spaetzle plane (can be purchased anywhere in Hungary or online), work dough into boiling water and cook for aprox. 2 min and scoop out with a sift. Repeat. Toss with butter and chopped parsley.