Recipe: Chicken paprikash with spätzle

Trail Appliances Favourite Family Recipe contest finalist Valerie Mufford shows Joe Fortes’ executive chef Wayne Sych how to make her family’s chicken paprikash with spatzle.

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs stewing chicken
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 large onions, diced
• 3 tbsp paprika (or to taste)
• 2 cups water
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper (or to taste)
• 2 sweet peppers, diced
• 1 pint sour cream (2 cups)
• 4 tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup milk

Instructions:

1. Brown the chicken in butter and remove it from the pot.
2. Sauté the diced onions in the same pot.
3. Return the chicken to the pot and add the paprika, water, diced sweet peppers, salt, and pepper.
4. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer until the chicken is tender (3-4 hours).
5. In a separate bowl, blend the flour, milk, and sour cream.
6. Add the flour mixture to the pot and stir well.
7. Heat gently until the sauce thickens.
8. Serve over spätzle dumplings.

Slow Cooker Instructions:

1. Place the chicken, butter, onions, paprika, water, sweet peppers, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for about 5 hours. If cooking longer, add an extra cup of water.
3. About 30 minutes before serving, turn the slow cooker to high and add the blended flour, milk, and sour cream mixture.
4. Stir well and heat until thickened. Serve over spätzle noodles.

Spätzle recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tsp salt
• 4 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup melted butter

Instructions:

1. Mix the beaten eggs, milk, salt, flour, and baking powder to make a soft, sticky dough.
2. Drop 1/4 spoonfuls of dough into boiling salted water.
3. Cook until the spätzle dumplings double in size and float to the top.
4. Remove the spätzle and toss with the melted butter.
5. Serve alongside the chicken paprikash.