European Cuisine

Hello ladies and gents today we are going to the country whoose name literally means place of romans yes foodies we are going to

Romania


Romanian cuisine is a diverse blend of different dishes from several traditions with which it has come into contact, but it also maintains its own character. It has been significantly influenced by the Ottoman Empire, yet it also includes culinary elements stemming from the cuisines of other fellow Balkan neighbor countries, especially Serbian and Bulgarian as well as Ukrainian.

There are quite a few different types of dishes, which are sometimes included under a generic term; for example, the category ciorbă includes a wide range of soups with a characteristic sour taste. These may be meat and vegetable soups, tripe (ciorbă de burtă) and calf foot soups, or fish soups, all of which are soured by lemon juice, sauerkraut juice, vinegar, or borș (traditionally made from bran). The category țuică (plum brandy) is a name for a strong alcoholic spirit in Romania.

Chicken Papricas




Time: 90 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons of oil (vegetable, olive oil/butter mixture, or dripping)
2 chicken legs, separated at the join to give four pieces, skin on or off according to preference
2 mediums onions
1 level tablespoon of Hungarian sweet paprika
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 glass of liquid – this can be chicken stock, simply water, or a 50/50 mixture of water and wine.
1 egg
4 tablespoons of flour
Salt and pepper
Parsley for garnish (optional)

Method:
1. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a high-sided pan and fry the piece of chicken at a low to moderate heat until cooked through and brown on the outside, probably about 30 minutes for leg on the bone. If you are using a jointed whole chicken you may find some parts cook quicker than other, so just remove the various pieces to a plate once they’ve cooked through.
3. Meanwhile, cut the onion quite finely. Some recipes call for larger pieces of onion, which is fine too. Personally I prefer the onion finely cut so it almost melts into a sauce.
4. Add the onion to the pan in which you previously cooked the chicken and cook on the same low-medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent, about 10-15 minutes. Don’t allow them to burn or they’ll taste bitter.
5. Add the liquid and raise the heat to a boil briefly and deglaze the pan, then reduce the heat back down to a gentle simmer and allow to reduce slightly over about 5-7 minutes.
6. Add the paprika and the chopped garlic and mix well to combine.
7. In a mixing bowl, combine the egg and the flour to get a batter. It should be a thick consistency, but slowly slide off the back of a spoon. Something thicker than pancake mixture, but not quite a dough.
8. Using a teaspoon, spoon the mixture into the papricas liquid drop by drop. The liquid shouldn’t be boiling otherwise the dumplings will break apart. Don’t drop them in from any height, just lower the teaspoon to just above the liquid and let them slide in. Allow them to harden for a few minutes and if necessary, move them to one side to clear space for more. Once all the dumpling mixture has been used up, let it simmer for another 3-5 minutes until they have all hardened. The dumplings will absorb some liquid from the papricas so add a little more stock or water if necessary.
10. Taste the liquid for seasoning and replace the chicken pieces on top and allow to simmer gently for a few more minutes to warm up the rested chicken.
11. Serve hot in bowls with a sprinkle of parsley if desired

You will be salivating all the time with this dish so try it and as always have a chilled day from the Viking. 










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