A Magyar Curse - A Chicken Paprikash Recipe Review

   I learned a lot from my best friend and next door neighbour’s Hungarian grandmother. As a child I could tell you to “shove your mother’s religion up a horse’s ass” in perfect Magyar. Later in life, I learned to smoke a Rothman’s Blue with out hocking up a lung. But of all the things Grandma Julie taught me, an appreciation of Hungarian food is something that I somehow missed.

   To be honest I have no memory of ever even trying Hungarian food. So when I was given the task of reviewing a chicken paprikash recipe for my George Brown food writing class, I must say I was excited.

   Traditionally chicken paprikash would be served with spaetzle (imagine a cross between an egg noodle and gnocchi), and this recipe included a side bar on making spaetzle for those seeking an “authentic” experience. I opted for egg noodles from a bag for two reasons. Firstly, that’s how Grandma Julie served her paprikash; secondly, the last time I tried making spaetzle I ended up with batter dripping from my elbow and a steaming pot of wallpaper paste. 

   I would have preferred this dish over potatoes, and while potatoes are given as an optional ingredient, no instructions are provided to tell the cook when, where or how much potato should be added. This chicken paprikash recipe is also let down by a few other omissions. Most notably temperatures and an over all cooking time are lacking — I rarely caramelise onions and had forgotten how long the process can take, as a result dinner was served much later than anticipated. 

   Overall the dish turned out well. The chicken was juicy, tender and cooked to a turn. The gravy was rich and pungent with spice, with smoky undertones. I would have made sauce a little hotter, by substituting one of the two tablespoons of smoked paprika for the hot variety, however none of my fellow diners agreed with me, and the recipe doesn’t specify whether to use hot or sweet smoked paprika. 

   I don’t think I would make this dish again. Frankly if I am going to take the time to caramelise onions there are other things I would rather make, but that means I am going to have to duck some phone calls; my neighbour is already calling for seconds.

***I have not included the recipe here because it is secondary to the exercise, and also out of a sense of fairness to the author, as the recipe is clearly a working draft.***