All contents (C) 2004, 2005, 2006 Michael Schlesinger
Sunday, February 22, 2004
Shrimp Paprikas
Noticing a theme here? Well, when you receive fresh cans of fine Spanish paprika as a gift, you look around for ways to use it. I grabbed my New York Times International Cookbook, and even though the paprika was from Spain, I turned to Hungary, where I found eight pages of recipes (France has over 200!), all of which used copious amounts of these finely ground smoked peppers. Shrimp with Paprika caught my eye.
This week's trip to Eastern Market netted us one and a half pounds of medium shrimp, two 3-pound chickens (cut up into small pieces), onions and green peppers. I threw together a Chicken Paprikas (see below) in about 30 minutes. My plan was to simmer the chicken for an hour, remove the bones and skin, portion it over egg noodles, and pack it away in the freezer for food for the week.
When the chicken was done, I started on dinner, my version of Shrimp with Hot Paprika:
1.5 lb. medium shrimp, peeled 4 T. butter 1 t. chopped garlic 3 t. hot paprika 1/2 t. cayenne 1 t. salt 1/2 large onion, chopped 1/3 cup half and half 1/3 cup sour cream
Heat the butter and garlic until it's hot. Add the paprika and cayenne and blend it into the butter. Add the shrimp, salt and pepper to taste. Cook on high heat, stirring, until the shrimp barely turn pink. Turn heat down to medium and stir in the onions, half and half, and sour cream, blending well until heated through.
Serve with rice.
This dish is delicious but quite spicy – modulate the cayenne/pepper/paprika to taste. The smoky paprika and hot cayenne created a flavorful contrast with the sweetness of the shrimp.
We got two dinners out of it, and have two lunches in the fridge.
I love paprika – finely ground peppers, what's not to like? On a splendorific Valentine's morning my sweetie gave me that most wondrous Valentine's present, saffron – and as a bonus she threw in three types of Spanish smoked paprika: sweet, bittersweet and hot.
To celebrate this boon, I set out to find an online recipe featuring paprika. I quickly bookmarked paprika gravy (with roast turkey), paprika potato rosettes, paprika rice and Chicken Paprikas. My Hungarian father would never forgive me if I didn’t recreate this chicken dish that his mother used to make. So, since Sunday dinner (and this week's leftovers) needed to be cooked, I was off to Eastern Market for a stop at Capitol Hill Poultry, where I was pleasantly surprised to see that the market's number one brother, Chris, was there himself. He gave me a beautiful 4.5-lb. chicken and masterfully cut it up into small pieces. I told him about this website – Chris, if you're surfing through, Hey Brother!
Here's the eminently simple Chicken Paprikas:
1 5-lb. roaster, cut into small pieces 3 tomatoes, chopped 3 large onions, chopped 1 bell pepper, sliced 2 tablespoons sweet paprika salt oil 2 cups stock
In a large pan, with a lid, sauté the chopped onions until golden. Add the paprika, salt and chicken and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring three times and adding a little stock if it seems too dry.
Add the tomatoes and stock and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for one hour. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken to a plate and cover with tin foil. Continue to simmer the sauce until it reduces to about half. Serve over rice or noodles.
We had it over steamed rice. The recipe called for Hungarian sweet paprika, but the smoky flavor of the Spanish version made the dish distinct and delicious. We had two servings for dinner, and there are five more in the fridge for some good eatin' during the week.
It was a real mishmash of cooking this weekend. After my weekly trip to Eastern Market, where I picked up a chicken, hot and sweet sausage, and a tube of tomato paste from Italy, I headed home to roast the bird and prepare stock. Once I had the stock going, it was time to start dinner.
I was in the mood for something hearty and hot, a deli or diner dish. I diced a chicken breast and thigh, then added mayo and chopped artichoke hearts for a tasty chicken salad. Next, I grilled up rosti and topped each pancake with a half cup of chicken salad. I patted a covering of shredded Gruyere over the potato/chicken combo, ran it under the broiler, and we had chicken melt on a potato pancake for Saturday dinner. It may sound kinda goofy, but it really hit the spot.
Sunday came early, since I had placed a morning delivery with Peapod. I made coffee, put a big pot of soup on the stove, asked my girlfriend what she wanted for breakfast (banana pancakes was the enthusiastic reply) and pulled out my Italian cookbooks.
Earlier this week I had prepared sausage and peppers over polenta, my own recipe, but I decided I needed to learn more about polenta. Here's the trick that made the difference: I poured the finished polenta out onto a wet wooden board, using a spatula to shape it. I also let it sit and cool down a little longer this time, making it easier to slice. The polenta with sausage recipe I followed didn't use peppers. The sauce was a tomato paste, red onion and stock reduction. It was fabulous. Next time I'll try it with peppers.
So the stock inventory is replenished, there's chicken salad for noshing, and a freezer full of soup and leftover polenta to get us through the week.
November 2004 Thanksgiving
September 2004 Lasagna
Rice with Chicken and Sausage
August 2004 Chicken Noodle Casserole
Chicken Pot Pie
July 2004 Chicken w/Couscous
When I Don't Cook
Apple Smoked Chicken
June 2004 Grilled Chicken
Bratwurst
Chili
May 2004 Red Beans
Chicken Salad
Chicken Creole
I 'Cue, Too
(barbecue chicken}
April 2004 Roast Chicken Greek Shrimp
March 2004 Shrimp with Grits Scamorza Baked Ziti Oyster Dressing Stuffed Turkey Breast
February 2004 Shrimp Paprikas Chicken Paprikas Polenta
January 2004 Rosti Stock Roast Turkey