Chicken Paprikash

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Wolfgang PuckThe spice paprika, and the other seasonings that accompany it, pays the perfect compliment to the flavor of a good-quality free-range bird. But even if you're using a more bland-tasting chicken, the complexity of the spice will give it a really interesting flavor that will surprise and please you.

Ingredients

1 tsp. whole caraway seeds
3 lb. (1.5 kg) bone-in chicken breasts, with or without skin, as you like
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbs. sweet paprika
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1/4 C. (60 ml) peanut oil
4 C. (1 l) thinly sliced onions
2 Tbs. minced garlic
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1 C. (250 ml) peeled, seeded, and chopped tomato
2 Tbs. minced marjoram leaves
1 tsp. minced thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
1 C. (250 ml) dry white wine
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 C. (500 ml) chicken stock or good-quality canned chicken broth
1/4 C. (60 ml) heavy cream
2 Tbs. creme fraiche
2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, cored, and seeded, 1 cut into 1-inch by 1/4-inch strips
2 Tbs. minced parsley leaves

Directions

First, toast the caraway seeds. Put them in a small, dry sauté pan over medium-low heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and stir until cool. Grind the seeds to a powder with a mortar and pestle or an electric spice mill. Set aside. With a sharp, heavy knife, cut each chicken breast crosswise into 3 pieces. Sprinkle all over with salt, pepper and 1 Tbs. of the paprika. Spread the flour on a plate and lightly roll the pieces in the flour.

Heat a large, straight-sided shallow braising pan over high heat. Add the peanut oil and, when it is hot, shake off excess flour from the chicken pieces and add them to the pan. Sauté them until they are seared golden brown all over, 7 to 10 minutes. With tongs, remove the chicken from the pan to a plate or bowl and set aside. Add the onions to the pan and sauté them until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ground caraway seeds and sauté 1 minute more. Add the tomato paste, tomato and remaining paprika and stir until well blended. Add the marjoram, thyme and bay leaf. Pour in the wine and vinegar and stir and scrape with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan deposits. Add the chicken broth and season to taste with more salt and pepper.

Bring the liquid to a boil. Add the reserved chicken pieces. Partially cover the pan, reduce the heat, and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and continue to simmer until the chicken is tender, about 10 minutes more. With tongs, transfer the chicken pieces to a large sauté pan. Remove and discard the bay leaf from the braising pan; pour the remaining contents into a blender or a food processor fitted with the stainless-steel blade. Add the roasted pepper that has not been cut into strips.

Covering the lid of the processor or blender, and leaving the blender lid slightly ajar or the processor feed tube open to avoid any dangerous rush of steam, process the mixture to form a thick, smoothly pureed sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning. Pour the sauce over chicken and cook over medium heat just until heated through. Reheat until warm. Serve over rice or noodles, garnished with dollops of creme fraiche, bell pepper strips, and parsley.

Yield: 4-6 servings

(Chef Wolfgang Puck's new TV series, "Wolfgang Puck's Cooking Class," airs Sundays and Wednesdays on the Food Network. Write Wolfgang Puck in care of Tribune Media Services Inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, NY. 14207.)

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