Chicken Paprikash - a little healthier

[clear eye]

This recipe is basically authentic (for instance it doesn't use tomatoes), but I've subbed vegetable oil (I use canola) for the traditional bacon fat. I use a little ground chipotle pepper instead to get the smokey taste. I only use the trimmed breasts as the dark meat has natural trans-fat, but I keep the skin on for the healthy collagen. The acid in the white wine dissolves some of the healthy minerals from the bone into the sauce. When in season, Hungarians used fresh peppers in it along w/ the paprika. Since we can now get them year round, I included them. I also use whole wheat pastry flour to thicken the sauce instead of white, buttermilk instead of sour cream, and serve the dish over whole wheat no-yolk egg noodles which I cook in a minimum of water w/ a little no trans-fat margarine to keep them from sticking together. This cooking method keeps the B-vitamins in the noodles instead of getting thrown out w/ the water. There are two brands of these noodles available online: Hodgson Mill Yolkless Whole Wheat Ribbons and Mrs. Miller's Homemade Noodles cholesterol free 100% whole wheat.

This recipe makes 3 - 6 servings depending on how many people ask for seconds. It's truly OMG delicious.

Ingredients

1-1/2 split bone-in, skin on chicken breasts, cut in half again (you have to cut them at an angle w/ a poultry shears to get similar-sized pieces) making six pieces
1/2t. ground chipotle peppers
3 T. Hungarian sweet paprika (Pride of Szeged brand is widely available)
1/3 c. whole wheat pastry flour
~1 t. salt
~1/4 t. ground black pepper
2 medium-sized or 1 giant onion
2 frying peppers
5 cloves of garlic
1/8 t. caraway seeds
1-1/2 c. water
1/2 c. dry white cooking wine
1/4 c. water
1/3 c. buttermilk

Cooked pasta of choice.

Directions

Chop one giant or two medium onions and two frying peppers into ~1" chunks. Slice five cloves of garlic lengthwise.

Trim excess fat from 1 1/2 split chicken breasts cut again in half (making six small pieces). Mix 1/2 t. ground chipotle and 2 t. of the sweet paprika and rub into the chicken meat. Put 3 T. of the w.w. pastry flour, 1/2 t. of the salt and 1/8 t. of the pepper in a shaker and use to coat chicken pieces (outside skin) lightly, shake off excess.

In a 4 - 5 qt. heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven saute chicken pieces in 1 T. vegetable oil until nicely browned on all sides. (Bamboo tongs are good for moving the pieces.) Remove them from the pot.

Put the onions, chopped pepper, and garlic into the pot (adding more vegetable oil if necessary as the lean chicken doesn't really make drippings). Add 1/4 - 1/2 t. salt (depending on preference) and 2 pinches of black pepper and saute until wilted and just starting to brown. Bruise 1/8 t. caraway seeds in a mortar & pestle or by putting on a cutting board, covering w/ a knife handle and striking the handle w/ a rubber mallet, and add to vegetables. Add remaining good quality sweet paprika and stir to distribute.

Return chicken to the pot. Add about 1 1/2 cups of water and 1/2 cup dry white cooking wine. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Remove lid and simmer for 10+ minutes to reduce the broth.

With a slotted spoon, remove veggies and chicken to large serving dish.

Taste the sauce in the pan and add more paprika, salt and/or pepper if needed. Mix together remaining w.w. pastry flour and 1/4 cup water and use mixture to thicken the sauce in the pan. Continue simmering while stirring for a few minutes until sauce thickens some. Remove from heat and add 1/3 cup buttermilk.

Serve over cooked whole wheat no-yolk egg noodles, farfalle, egg noodles, gnocchi or dumplings.

The egg whites in the noodles give additional protein so it's o.k. to use smallish servings of chicken, and there's plenty of delicious sauce. A side of salad rounds out the meal.

[daleanime]

1. Bookmarked!

It will be a week or so before I have a chance to try it, but I'll let you know how it turns out!:bounce:

[clear eye]

2. Enjoy! n/t

[yellerpup]

3. Your substitutions are so innovative.

This is a recipe I will try. Thanks! :hi:

[clear eye]

4. You're welcome. You can use the left over ww pastry flour and buttermilk

for yummy pancakes.

[clear eye]

5. I forgot to mention that if you keep kosher or have a dairy allergy, the buttermilk can be omitted

and it still tastes pretty darn good.

[Warpy]

6. Chicken paprikash was a specialty when I cooked

in a metal pop corn popper in college. Ah, memories of inventing stir frying all on my own.

However, I've done a slight variation on your fat reduction by doing a half and half mixture of sour cream and yogurt. I also never thicken anything with whole wheat, I dislike both the grit and the color. If I'm trying to cut fat out of a dish, I thicken with cornstarch mixed into a little cold water.

I love the idea of using chipotle for a little heat and smoke, though. I'll have to try that one, I have some Quorn "naked cutlets" ready to go.

[clear eye]

7. Ah. Vegetarian version. I'd love to hear how it goes.

You must have really earned your cooking chops making real food w/ such limited resources.

Buttermilk in sauces might often be improved by mixing some sort of thickening agent (corn starch, flour?) in it before adding it, but this sauce was already thickened. I'm not fond of the distinctive taste of yogurt in food other than those ethnic dishes that traditionally use it like Greek, Indian, Turkish, etc. To my taste buds, buttermilk is closer in flavor to sour cream.

In this dish the paprika has already made the sauce dark so w.w. isn't visually noticeable, and w.w. pastry flour isn't coarse-textured. It can often be bought from a bulk bin in natural foods stores, or, of course, online.

In many milder-flavored dishes I would tend to agree w/ you that the w.w. taste can clash.

Edited to add: Since you're not using chicken, you may have to use some kind of broth (mushroom? vegetable? not-chick'n?) instead of the water.

[Warpy]

8. I agree that buttermilk is a lot less tangy than yogurt

but I always like that extra tanginess, so it's never been a problem for me thinning the fat in sour cream. All yogurt is too much of a good thing in dishes like chicken paprikash or beef Stroganoff or any other traditional sour cream dish.

I've used the naked cutlets before in chicken paprikash. I find the dish needs to be enriched with a little more oil (I use safflower), but the end product is very good.

I know about finely ground pastry flour. I also sift out as much of the grit as I can. I still find it makes thickened sauces just a little too gritty for my taste. Chacun à son goût.

[clear eye]

9. I edited my post a little too late, but I wanted to suggest

that since you're not using chicken, you may want to use some kind of broth (mushroom? vegetable? not-chick'n?) instead of the water.

In the original version, the chicken flavors the liquid as it cooks.

[Warpy]

10. I haven't found it necessary to add more flavor

since the dairy, caraway and paprika all do that by the bucketful. What I did find I missed was the richness. Butter would be a better idea than a little extra oil, of course, but I could have used all sour cream and gotten the same effect.