Paprika Chicken - etouffeed chicken with peppers, onions, and fennel.
Paprika chicken – smothered or etouffeed chicken with peppers, onions, and fennel. Cooked low and slow for a rich, luscious dish.
I was watching one of my favorite cooking shows recently (as usual) and saw the host make the most delicious looking recipe for Paprika Chicken. This particular show is about French food and cooking and I always enjoy her presentations.
As the chef got further into the recipe, the more I thought how familiar the technique looked. She browned the chicken, removed it from the pan, added some veggies which she sauteed for a while and then deglazed with wine. She then added back the chicken, lowered the temperature and cooked it until done.
Hmmm. Well, that’s the same thing that we in the South call “smothering.” Ah-ha! A lightbulb went off in my head and I started researching. And guess what I found? The French word étouffée means, guess what, “smothered.” And where do you hear étouffée used? In Creole and Cajun cooking…in the South.
I just love how cooking travels halfway around the world and ends up in another place known by another name but with the same wonderful results.
Whether you choose to call this étouffée or smothered is beside the point. And whether it came directly from France or made its way through Canada and down South with the Cajuns, it’s still scrumptious.
Pat the chicken as dry as possible. The drier the chicken the better and more brown the sear. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
Heat the canola oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning several times, until pieces are browned on all sides. Remove the chicken to a plate while you proceed with the recipe.
Drain all but about a tablespoon of fat from the skillet.
Lower the heat and add the red bell pepper, onion, fennel, and paprika. Cook until the vegetables are soft adding the garlic for the last minute of cooking.
Add the wine to the pan and stir to bring up any cooked bits from the bottom. Add the tomatoes and bay leaf. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Add the chicken back to the pan along with any juices that may have accumulated on the plate while the chicken was resting.
Cover the pan and cook over medium-low heat, turning the chicken occasionally, until tender, approximately 30 minutes. Remove the chicken to a serving plate and cover with foil to keep it warm.
Turn up the heat under the skillet and boil until a sauce-like consistency is reached.
Turn off the heat and stir in the sour cream. Check for seasonings and adjust if necessary.
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Paprika chicken - smothered or etouffeed chicken with peppers, onions, and fennel. Cooked low and slow for a rich, luscious dish.
Pat the chicken as dry as possible. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
Heat the canola oil and butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning several times, until pieces are browned on all sides. Remove the chicken to a plate while you proceed with the recipe. Drain all but about a tablespoon of fat from the skillet.
Add the wine to the pan and stir to bring up any cooked bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes and bay leaf. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the chicken back to the pan along with any juices that may have accumulated on the plate while the chicken was resting.
Cover the pan and cook over medium-low heat, turning the chicken occasionally, until tender. About 30 minutes.
Remove the chicken to a serving plate and cover with foil to keep it warm. Turn up the heat under the skillet and boil until a sauce-like consistency is reached. Turn off the heat and stir in the sour cream. Check for seasonings and adjust if necessary.
The fennel is this recipes is optional but I'd encourage you to try it even if you think you don't like fennel. It adds a beautiful flavor to the sauce.
Thanks for visiting and for pinning, Mona! I hope you’ll try the recipe and enjoy it.
It seems that many cultures prepare chicken in this fashion. It lends so much flavor and succulence to the meat, doesn’t it? This recipe sounds great – perfect for the upcoming Fall evenings. Thanks!
Yes, Adri, it’s great for the Fall season. And isn’t it interesting how cooking techniques travel from culture to culture? Just with different names.
That looks just wonderful. What do you recommend to serve with such a luscious dish?
Oh, I’m glad you asked! I served it with steamed, buttered green beans and a rice pilaf with onions, rice, and thyme cooked in chicken broth.
Also – and I should have said this in the post somewhere – I would highly recommend springing for a box of real Hungarian paprika for this recipe. Makes a big difference.
I do believe this has Hungarian roots. I have heard it called Chicken Papriksish. It has sauted onions,the chicken,browed first before the onions of course, the paprika, I think some water or broth and sour cream at the end. It is served over egg nooldes. I didn’t look at my recipe, but this is just from my memory. It also has caraway seeds in it.
Smothering? Love that term. And this chicken!