Hungarian Chicken Paprikash*Chicken and dumplings

Ingredients

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 vidalia onion, chopped

1 whole cut up chicken (skin intact)

2 Tbsp sweet paprika

3 chicken bullion cubes (or more to taste) 1 per cup of water added)

ADD LATER TO BROTH:

1 pt sour cream

1/2 pt water

4 Tbsp flour (or more to thicken if you like)

3 tsp Lawry's seasoning salt (optional, but adds flavor!)

FOR THE DUMPLINGS:

4 eggs

3 c water

6 c all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

Directions

1If you have a pressure cooker, use it. If you dont, a regular big old pot will work just as well. 

Place the oil and chopped onion in a big pot. Cook over medium/high heat until translucent. (You don't want them brown, just tender.) Take off heat. Add the paprika. Mix it well.

Put chicken parts in the pot and brown slightly with the onion/paprika mixture. (Do it in batches if you have to and add additional oil in small amounts if needed.)

NOTE: I buy a whole chicken and cut it up myself. Make sure the chicken pieces you use are whole with the skin intact. It adds to the flavor.

Add water to almost cover chicken. Bring to a boil, and add chicken bullion cubes ( a good rule is 1 cube for every one cup of water...just eyeball it). Also add the Lawry's seasoning salt (if available). Not necessary, but to me, is the secret ingredient Grandma didn't tell us about, until we saw her add it one day! ;) 

Cover and simmer for 25 minutes with a regular pot, or about 15-20 minutes with a pressure cooker.

2While the chicken is simmering, mix the sour cream, water and flour together with a hand mixer or a Kitchen-aid mixer. Whip it very smooth and set aside.

3When the chicken is done, remove the chicken pieces to a colander to cool.

Slowly add the sour cream mixture a little bit at a time to the broth, stirring constantly to incorporate into the broth.

OPTIONAL: You can de-bone the chicken, or leave the pieces intact. I spoil everyone and skin and de-bone it and add it back to the sauce. Grandma always served the chicken pieces separate on a dish and whole. It is up to you how you like it. I always just went for the sauce over dumplings when I was a kid! ;)

4FOR THE DUMPLINGS:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

In a mixer combine eggs, water and flour and salt. Mix together to form a soupy dough. 

When water is boiling, scrape the dough into the water a spoonful at a time. This is easier if you dip the spoon onto the boiling water so the dough will not stick to the spoon. 

After you scrape the dough into the boiling water, they should cook for about 7 minutes. When they rise to the surface, they are done. 

Drain and rinse. 

It makes a lot of dumplings! But that is ok, they will be gone in no time!

5Serve up a big helping of dumplings, and pour sauce over them. Serve with the whole chicken pieces, or if you de-bone it, it will be placed in the sauce.

6One of my favorite childhood memories is triggered when I make this recipe. All of my senses come alive... truly a wonderful comforting food!