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Now here’s a classic Hungarian stew. I’ve been having versions of this since I was a kid always with chicken, never with rabbit.
Speaking of which, this is how we foodies say “we love you” – we gift you ‘bizarre’ foods that make others gawk. Like X’mas when I call everyone and ask if they want some of my duck fat. For a regular, sane person such an offer can be quite offensive. I mean who thinks about getting the gift of duck fat for the holidays?!
My more sane friends have learned to expect such freakish phone calls from me and have learned to accept these with polite grace.
But in my ‘crazy foodie’ world, it would quite an honor followed by “any other organs meats you want to share”? See, bizarre.
So you can quite imagine when I got the gift of rabbit from a friend the other day, it spelled l.o.v.e. Now because it was the whole rabbit and not just the breasts, it seemed to be quite a good choice for stew rather than a lovely French version of duck breasts seared and served with apples or peaches. Yum.
Nope, stew was calling. Since I haven’t fixed Paprikash in so long it’s nearly fallen out of memory, it seemed like the perfect time to revive an old classic.
The ingredient list is so very simple – rabbit or chicken pieces – cut up by the butcher, lots of excellent Hungarian sweet Paprika, sour cream, onions and right there are the foundations of this classic. It may be impossible to imagine but a rich paprika based sauce is quite lovely.
Now I’m not professing this recipe to be some old authentic grandma version but rather it’s the result og some gently tugging on a long lost wisp of memory. I so remember the flavor of this dish as a child, that it was enough to get me going.
Mushrooms are not typical buy I do love them my Paprikash. My kids ate it for the first time, rabbit and all. And thoroughly enjoyed it.
Word of advice, you may want to refrain from the using the term ‘bunny’ while referring to dinner, on the plate, at table.
Gather the ingredients,
1 qty 2-3 lb rabbit, skinned and cut into 8 pieces by the butcher OR 1 whole chicken, cut-up into 10 pieces (skin-on or off as per preference), 2 medium red Spanish onions, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tbs olive oil, 2 tbs butter, unsalted, 3 bay leaves, 2 cups sliced mushrooms, 1 tbs butter (to saute mushrooms), 2 tbs olive oil (to sear meat), 1 tsp salt, 4 tsp smoked Hungarian Paprika (mild), 2-1/2 cups chicken stock, 1 cup sour cream
Flour mixture: 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 tbs salt, 1 tsp Cayenne pepper, 1 tsp ground black pepper and 1 tsp smoked Hungarian Paprika
Rabbit or chicken: Dry the rabbit or chicken pieces on a kitchen towel.
Flour mixture: Mix the flour mixture with spices thoroughly in a flat dish and set aside.
Onions: Thinly slice and set aside
In a large dutch oven or Brazier, heat the olive oil and butter on medium high heat.
As soon as the butter melts, add the onions and 1/2 tsp salt and saute the onions. Saute for about 10 minutes and add the chicken stock. Simmer for about 30 minutes on low heat until the onions have completely softened.
Heat a cast iron pan on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and heat for a minute or so.
Add the meat pieces one at a time in the flour mixture and toss on all sides. Gently flick to get rid of excess flour.
As soon as the butter melts and froths,add the meat pieces in a single layer in the pan so the pieces are not touching. Do not overcrowd.
Pan fry on both sides for a few minutes until a golden brown. Remove to a platter. Repeat in batches with all the remaining pieces.
Once the onions have simmered for 30 minutes, add the pieces and juices to the softened onions. Add the chicken stock and increase heat to high. Bring to a heavy simmer.
Reduce the heat to lowest setting (gas mark 2) and fit the pot with a tight fitting lid. Cook for approx. 1-1/2 hours for the rabbit & 1 hour for the chicken - stirring once, until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.
Remove all the meat pieces to a flat serving dish or large platter. Keep the remaining stock on a medium simmer.
Meanwhile, wipe the cast-iron pan clean with a kitchen paper towel. Heat the butter on medium high heat until it melts and the froth subsisdes. Add the mushrooms and saute for a few minutes. Add 2 tbs of the hot stock and continue to saute until mushrooms are just tender.
Remove the mushrooms from the pan and spread over the chicken.
Add the paprika and the sour cream. Whisk until all the lumps have dissappeared. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Pour over the meat in the platter. Garnish with finely chopped parsley if desired and serve with mashed potatoes, dumplings or butter sauteed rice.
Recipe for
Hungarian Rabbit {Or Chicken} Paprikash
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours
Shopping list:
1 qty 2-3 lb rabbit, skinned and cut into 8 pieces by the butcher OR 1 whole chicken, cut-up into 10 pieces (skin-on or off as per preference)
2 medium red Spanish onions
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs butter, unsalted
3 bay leaves
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 tbs butter (to saute mushrooms)
2 tbs olive oil (to sear meat)
1 tsp salt
4 tsp smoked Hungarian Paprika (mild)
2-1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cup sour cream
Flour mixture: 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 tbs salt, 1 tsp Cayenne pepper, 1 tsp ground black pepper and 1 tsp smoked Hungarian Paprika
Preparation:
Rabbit or chicken: Dry the rabbit or chicken pieces on a kitchen towel.
Flour mixture: Mix the flour mixture with spices thoroughly in a flat dish and set aside.
Onions: Thinly slice and set aside
Method:
In a large dutch oven or Brazier, heat the olive oil and butter on medium high heat.
As soon as the butter melts, add the onions and 1/2 tsp salt and saute the onions. Saute for about 10 minutes and add the chicken stock. Simmer for about 30 minutes on low heat until the onions have completely softened.
Heat a cast iron pan on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and heat for a minute or so.
Add the meat pieces one at a time in the flour mixture and toss on all sides. Gently flick to get rid of excess flour.
As soon as the butter melts and froths,add the meat pieces in a single layer in the pan so the pieces are not touching. Do not overcrowd.
Pan fry on both sides for a few minutes until a golden brown. Remove to a platter. Repeat in batches with all the remaining pieces.
Once the onions have simmered for 30 minutes, add the pieces and juices to the softened onions. Add the chicken stock and increase heat to high. Bring to a heavy simmer.
Reduce the heat to lowest setting (gas mark 2) and fit the pot with a tight fitting lid. Cook for approx. 1-1/2 hours for the rabbit & 1 hour for the chicken - stirring once, until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.
Remove all the meat pieces to a flat serving dish or large platter. Keep the remaining stock on a medium simmer.
Meanwhile, wipe the cast-iron pan clean with a kitchen paper towel. Heat the butter on medium high heat until it melts and the froth subsisdes. Add the mushrooms and saute for a few minutes. Add 2 tbs of the hot stock and continue to saute until mushrooms are just tender.
Remove the mushrooms from the pan and spread over the chicken.
Add the paprika and the sour cream. Whisk until all the lumps have dissappeared. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Pour over the meat in the platter. Garnish with finely chopped parsley if desired and serve with mashed potatoes, dumplings or butter sauteed rice.
Enjoy!
