Yum! Chicken Paprikash with Dumplings!!!

Chicken Paprikash 
(with dumplings!  or over noodles.)

ingredients:
2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 medium onions, chopped in 1/2, then sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup GOOD hungarian paprika (be sure it's fresh!)
1/2 cup unsalted all natural chicken stock
1 cup of white wine (I always use Schmitt Sohne Reisling)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 cups sour cream (use regular!!  skip dessert if you have to!)
1 tbsp. dried parsley

instructions:
put butter and oil into a dutch oven over medium-high heat, when bubbly, add the chicken and cook until all sides are light golden brown.

with a slotted spoon, remove chicken to a plate, leaving liquid in pot.

add onions and garlic to same pot and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden brown.

add paprika, chicken stock, wine, salt and pepper to the onions..bring to a boil, then turn heat down and simmer at least 20 minutes (to reduce the sauce & burn off the alcohol in the wine.)

REMEMBER!  use a good wine!!  and good paprika!!  trust me, they make or break this sauce!! 

return the chicken to the pot and add sour cream and parsley.  simmer gently for at least 30 minutes (or until you’re ready to serve--the more you can simmer, the better!).  

add the dumplings at this point, or get your noodles cooked!! 

serve over egg noodles.  we like it better with dumplings!  

Dumplings

ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 cup very warm water

instructions:
mix everything together to form a thick batter.

dip a teaspoon into the paprikash sauce (keeps batter from sticking to the spoon!) 

drop teaspoon sized dumplings into the paprikash.  (be sure to drop them evenly around the pot.  yep, I drop the whole bowl of dumpling batter into the pot.)

DO NOT STIR!!!!  DO NOT STIR!!!  DO NOT STIR!!!  (or you will have a BIG mess!)

put the lid on the pot and let dumplings simmer gently in the paprikash for at least 20-25 minutes until they are cooked all the way through.  (Remember, the first ones you put in have been cooking longer, so be sure to give them ALL enough time to cook!)  

stir VERY gently after about 25 minutes and continue simmering as long as possible.  extra simmering only makes this better!!!  

check your seasonings (salt & pepper) before serving. (the sauce is SOOO good, you'll want to drink it!!) 

enjoy!!

if you are lucky to have leftovers--this is even BETTER the next day!!!