California Goulash with Dumplings

by Millie Bentley

Greetings. This week’s recipe is a twist on one of my old favorites – goulash. What I like about goulash is that one can throw together almost anything, sprinkle it with a little paprika, make it delicious and call it goulash. Here’s a version you’ll like.

California Goulash with Dumplings

Dumplings:

1 ½ cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

½ cup chicken stock

1/2 cup sour cream

Mix together flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Cut in butter with pastry cutter or two knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix together chicken stock and sour cream and pour over dry ingredients. Mix together until a dough forms. Cover and set aside. Note: This can be made easily in a food processor.

Goulash:

2 pounds chicken thighs

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons good olive oil

1 large onion, finely diced

1 red bell pepper, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons hot Hungarian paprika

¾ teaspoon caraway seeds

1 ½ cups chicken stock

½ cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry chicken and cut into pieces about 1 ½ to 2 inches. Season with salt and pepper and dust with flour. Melt butter and olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet. Brown chicken pieces in hot oil/butter. Remove from skillet. To the skillet, add onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook until softened. Return chicken to the skillet and stir in paprika and caraway seeds. Cook a minute. Add chicken stock (2 cups) and sour cream. Stir until smooth.

Using a tablespoon, scoop dumpling dough onto top of goulash in the skillet. Place skillet in 425 degree oven and bake for about 20 minutes. This can be popped under the broiler if one wants the dumplings browned.

Until next time, dear Reader, vaya con Dios.