Ready for Holiday Comfort Cooking? Hello Easy Chicken Paprikash with Dumplings!

Let’s not talk about why, but do we not deserve some holiday light and serious comfort food right about now?

Yes. Yes, we do.

Estie, my Hungarian grandmother, was the queen of comfort cooking. I was raised on her Chicken Paprikash with dumplings. I assumed, because it is swoon-worthy, it must be impossible to make and, furthermore, she alone could make it. Thankfully, I was wrong. Chicken Paprikash turns out to be insanely easy to make and will have your kitchen smelling like everything not-2020.

We’ll also use the dumpling dough to make a dessert that, to most of us Americans, might sound, well, weird. But wait till you taste it.

Like all other Impatient Chef dishes, Chicken Paprikash reflects my highest cooking values: easy to make, easy to adapt, transforming a handful of ingredients into bliss. It’s cooking by gestalt — that is, don’t worry about exact measurements. Experiment and trust your instincts. If you like more of this ingredient or that, use more. If you don’t, use less. There’s no explaining why, but this dish will just make you happy in the simple doing of it. My mood lifts as soon as I start thinking about making it. Enjoy the doing!

Ingredients for Chicken Paprikash

Serves 5-6(ish)

• 3 large sweet onions
• 6 sweet red peppers
• 2 packs of sliced cremini or white mushrooms or 1-1 1/2 pounds — or more. (I use the creminis from Trader Joe’s because they’re ready to go and have a meatier texture than white mushrooms.)
• 3 tablespoons paprika
• Either a whole cut up chicken or package of six (or however many you want) chicken thighs (or whatever parts you like) — skin on.
• 1/2 cup Osem powdered consommé (or other brand of powdered chicken bouillon) You will use this to add thickness and a flavored saltiness. Osem is my favorite kind for its great flavor.)
• Salt and pepper to taste

For dumplings

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• Big pinch salt and pepper
• Just enough water to make the dough the consistency of honey

1. Slice up all the onions and peppers. I use a food processor to slice the veggies because…why wouldn’t you, when it takes literally five minutes to get the entire job done instead of doing it by hand and crying your eyes out?
2. Throw sliced onions and peppers in a big pot coated with just a little olive oil and cook for 20 minutes or so on medium heat, stirring occasionally to combine. Note: this is A LOT of onions and peppers. It could easily fill up your pot 3/4 of the way — don’t worry. It will cook down to less than half, and this is the best part of your dish — the sauce that envelopes your chicken. My goal is always to get as many peppers/onions/mushrooms in my pot as I can, because it’s never enough!
3. Add chicken and mushrooms. If you’re using a whole cut-up chicken, add in the back but not the innards (make sure to take them out before serving though)
4. Add bullion and paprika.
5. Let simmer for another 20 minutes, until chicken is done and veggies are very soft (If using breasts, they’ll cook faster, so watch over them. Once the breasts are done, if your veggies still need some softening, you can take them out and put them in a bowl temporarily.)
6. Make your dumplings, add them into your chicken paprikash, and serve!

How to Make the Dumplings — fear not, it’s easy!

1. Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.
2. Beat eggs in a mixing bowl. Add flour. Stir vigorously until it’s fully combined, and then add water until it’s the consistency of honey with no lumps. Add a big pinch of salt and pepper.
3. When the water is boiling, you’re ready to drop in your dumplings. Use a tablespoon to scoop up the dough and then, with your index finger, slide the tablespoon full of dough into the pot. They’ll sink to the bottom.
4. When the dumplings are ready, they’ll float up to the top. You don’t want to crowd your pot. Give them room to float around and cook — better to do them in two batches if your pot isn’t large.
5. Once they float to the top, add them to your chicken paprikash.

How to serve your Chicken Paprikash

You can serve this dish either as is, with the dumplings, or skip the dumplings and serve it over Israeli, regular, or whole wheat couscous. You’ll make everyone especially happy if you serve it with a big slab of challah or hot crusty bread to dunk in the sauce – we called it “toonkie” but no one knows why?

If you have left over sauce, you can make another great meal by serving it over mashed potatoes or pasta, or pile it high on toast. I often make Chicken Paprikash in double quantities and freeze half later (You’ll be so excited to find it in your freezer months later!)

Ready For a Divine Hungarian Dumpling Dessert?

This dessert is as simple as it gets — and beyond delicious. We kids used to swoon when it showed up at our breakfast table.

Make your topping:

• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 3/4 tablespoon sugar
• Pinch salt

I use my small food processor to crush and combine the ingredients, because it’s fast and easy. But you can also just throw the ingredients into a plastic bag and pound them with a meat tenderizer or a rolling pin.

Imperfect Chef Principle: taste the walnut sugar mixture. Not sweet enough? Add more sugar. Not salty enough? Add more salt. Not nutty enough? Add more walnuts. The main thing is to pulse it (or pound it) so that it’s a chunky powder, not a paste.

1. 1. Reserve some of your dumplings for dessert (you’ll put the rest in with your chicken paprikash.)
   2. Use a dish or paper towel to dry the dumplings (this helps them get crispy)
   3. Fry them in a big pan of melted butter until they’re golden brown.
   4. Put them on a plate and top with a generous helping of walnut sugar topping.
   5. Faint!

   And if you’re looking for more great Chanukah or Christmas dishes, take a look at Pella’s amazing brisket, kugel and applesauce.

Happy, healthy holidays, dear friends, and please be safe!