Authentic Chicken Paprikash (Paprikás Csirke)

Step 1

Heat the lard in a heavy pot and brown the chicken on all sides.  Transfer the chicken to a plate.  In the same oil, add the onions and fry until golden brown.  Add the garlic and tomatoes (and pepper if using) and fry another 2-3 minutes.  Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the paprika, salt and pepper (paprika becomes bitter if scorched).

Step 2

Return the chicken to the pot and place it back over the heat.  Pour in the chicken broth. The chicken should be mostly covered. Bring it to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 40 minutes. Remove the chicken and transfer to a plate.

Step 3

In a small bowl, stir the flour into the sour cream/cream mixture to form a smooth paste. Stir the cream mixture into the sauce, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring it to a simmer for a couple of minutes until the sauce is thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. Return the chicken to the sauce and simmer to heat through.

Step 4

Serve the chicken paprikash with Hungarian nokedli, which is like German Spaetzle only they're very short and stubby.  You can make nokedli with a spätzle scraper and using this recipe for the dough.