The Best Chicken Paprikash

Ingredients

• 1 cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 packet powdered gelatin
• 4 whole chicken legs, split into thighs and drumsticks
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup high quality Hungarian sweet paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup sour cream, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 teaspoon Asian fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon juice from 1 lemon
• Minced fresh parsley leaves or dill, optional
• Egg noodles, boiled potatoes, or spaetzle for serving

Directions

1. Pour the chicken stock into a 1-cup liquid measuring cup, then scatter the gelatin across the surface and put it aside. Season the chicken well all over with salt and pepper. Warm the vegetable oil in a large straight-sided sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it just begins to smoke. Arrange the chicken skin side down in the pan in a single layer, and leave it alone until the skin turns a deep golden brown, about 8 minutes. When the pieces are browned, turn them and cook the other side until lightly golden, about 2 minutes longer. Move the chicken to a large plate and set it aside. Pour out the fat from the pan, leaving 1 tablespoon behind.
2. Add the onions and bell peppers, if using, to the same pan. Cook, stirring and loosening the browned bits on the bottom, until the onions soften and begin to color, about 5 minutes. Stir in the paprika and cook until it smells fragrant and nutty, about 1 minute.
3. Pour in the stock and gelatin mixture, stirring constantly as you scrape up anything clinging to the bottom of the pan. Add the bay leaf. Tuck the browned chicken back into the sauce with the skin side facing up. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting, cover the pan, and cook until the chicken is fully tender, about 30 minutes.
4. Lift the chicken out of the pan and place it on a large plate. Whisk the sour cream, fish sauce, lemon juice, and half of the minced parsley or dill into the sauce. Taste and season with salt and additional paprika, if you’d like. Put the chicken back in the pan and turn it through the sauce to coat.
5. Serve right away over noodles, boiled potatoes, or spaetzle, tossing the noodles or potatoes with the sauce and setting the chicken on top. Finish with more sour cream, paprika, and minced fresh parsley or dill, if using.