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04/22/2021 12:01 AMI have lots of friends who will not eat inside a restaurant yet, and maybe they never will. But I myself feel safe enough and want so much to help my restaurant owners and waitstaff friends. They are among the organizations that suffered the most during the pandemic, creating a lot of suffering, too, for the people who work in restaurants.
As for me, I’m happy to be back eating inside restaurants. So happy, in fact, that on a recent visit to one of my favorite restaurants, when I saw one of my favorite waiters, one of my favorite hostesses, and one of my favorite chefs, I got all teary eyed.
Still, my pantry and freezer remains fully stocked, so I will continue to work my way through that stash as well. I recently looked through my pantry and freezer and remembered that my husband used to make chicken paprikash. I looked for his recipe among my columns but, alas, I’d never written about it. So, I went onto the Internet and found a recipe that looked just like his.
He used to make his in a big Le Creuset lidded pot. This one is for the slow-cooker. You could also adapt this recipe for your Instant Pot. If you make in the Instant Pot, use the “sauté” button to sauté the chicken, onions, and spices; add the broth and pressure cook it for about 20 minutes. Reduce the liquid at the end on “sauté.”
Lee White of Old Lyme has been a food editor and restaurant reviewer for more than 25 years. You can email her at leeawhite@aol.com.
Slow-Cooker Creamy Chicken Paprikash
Adapted from Tablespoon.com
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients:
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
4 chicken drumsticks
4 chicken breasts
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoon olive oil
2 medium onions, halved and cut into ¼-inch slices
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne) or
1 habanero chile, seeded
1 ½ cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1 cup sour cream
Directions
Spray large slow cooker with cooking spray.
Season chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper; in 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Place chicken skin-side down in skillet. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until brown on both sides. Transfer chicken to slow cooker.
In the skillet on medium heat, add onions and cook about 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic, paprika, red pepper, and rest of the salt and pepper; continue to cook and stir for about 1 minute. Transfer to slow cooker.
Add chicken broth to skillet, scraping any brown bits on bottom of skillet. Transfer to slow cooker.
Cover; cook on low 5 to 6 hours or until juice of chicken is clear when thickest part is cut to the bone (at least 165 degrees). Transfer chicken to serving platter and keep warm. Increase slow cooker to high.
In a small bowl, beat cornstarch and water with whisk until smooth. Beat into cooking liquid in slow cooker. Cover; cook about 15 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Beat sour cream into cooking liquid with whisk. Cover; cook about 5 minutes, until hot.
Serve chicken and sauce over buttered noodles.