A Taste of Home (Paprika Chicken)

I grew up eating this food and it is still the food I ask for when I go home. My parents make it together – my dad makes the chicken and my mother the Nockerli. Apparently my nephews (2 & 4) love it too…in fact they asked for it the other day when my dad was babysitting. But there was a big problem: for the first time in years my mom was away, and could not to make the Nockerli! Luckily a bit of improvisation on the German spätzle solved the problem.

I spent many years thinking this recipe would be complicated and difficult to make. My dad very patiently agreed to supervise the cooking process via webcam. So I arranged the laptop on the kitchen bench and off we went. Surprisingly, the recipe was simple with few ingredients.

Since then, it has become one of the staples in my recipe collection. Here it is: the Taste of Home.

Paprika Chicken

(as made by my Mom and Dad,(except with more peppers))

– serves 4

This dish is most authentic when served with Nockerli (see below) but can also be served with pasta or rice.

Ingredients

2 onions

2 Tbsp oil

8 pieces of chicken – skin on (I use the drumstick and thigh packs but you can cut up whole chicken if you like)

3-5 mixed peppers (capsicum)

2 tsp paprika powder (Hungarian, if you can somehow get your hands on it)

Salt and pepper 

Start by rinsing the chicken well and placing it on a paper towel to dry.

Then chop the onions finely. Place a pan or pot with a large diameter on medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp of oil to the pot. When the oil is hot (test by wetting your hand and flicking a bit of water into the pot – if it sizzles, it is ready – do not stand too close!) add the onions. Fry gently until see-through. 

Once the onions are see-through, take the pot off the heat and add the paprika. Transfer onions from the pot into a bowl.

Put the pot back on the heat. Add another tablespoon of oil and place the chicken skin-side down into the pan. Fry until brown (about 5 min) and turn over.

During this time, wash and chop the peppers lengthways.

Once the second side is browned, spread the onions back over the chicken. 

 

Add about 3 of the peppers and place the lid on the pot. 

Simmer until chicken is cooked. Add the 2 remaining peppers (optional). Cook for a further 5 minutes. 

Add salt and cracked pepper to taste before serving with Nockerli, pasta or rice.

Nockerli

For this recipe some sort of device is essential. I use a German Spätzlehobel which makes the Nockerli a bit small but still tasty.

 

My parents use a cheap aluminum pan with 5mm holes drilled* into it and a spatula works just as well and gives Nockerli of the right size. There are ways to make these with a knife and chopping board but I haven’t figured it out yet.

* Safety note from my in-house engineer: Do not drill holes in the pan in food-preparation areas. Wash the pan thoroughly before using.

Ingredients

500ml plain flour

250ml cold water

2 eggs

1 Tbsp salt

1 tsp butter

Place a large pot on the stove on high heat. Add about 1L of water and the salt. Fill up your kettle and boil an extra 2-4L to add to the pot.

Place the flour in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and crack the two eggs into it. Add most of the water and stir with a fork. 

 

Stir until the ingredients are combined but the mixture doesn’t have to be smooth. Add enough of the remaining water so that the dough starts to drop off the fork once you lift it up.

Once the water has boiled, fill the Spätzlehobel with dough and grate into the water until the portion is finished. 

If using a pan with holes, place half the dough into the pan. Use the flat side of the spatula to squeeze the dough through the holes.

Boil for 1-2 min or until all the Nockerli have risen to the surface of the water. 

Use a sieve to scoop the Nockerli from the water and place in a bowl. Add the butter.

Repeat until all the dough is used up.

Keep in a warm place until ready to serve.