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Paprikash
5 from 26 votes

Paprikash

Paprikash features pheasant browned in bacon fat, then simmered in a paprika-seasoned sauce with onions, bay leaves, and roasted red peppers until tender. It is served with soft dumplings made from egg, flour, and water batter. The dish combines rich, smoked flavors with mild heat and a creamy finish from sour cream.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time
2 hrs
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 811 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Hungarian

Ingredients

PAPRIKASH
  • 1 pheasant cut into serving pieces, whole
  • 3 tablespoons bacon fat lard, or butter
  • salt
  • 2 yellow onion sliced root to tip, very large
  • 1/3 cup paprika Hungarian if possible
  • 2 bay leaf
  • 2 roasted red peppers chopped, jarred
  • ½ cup sour cream at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • ¼ cup parsley chopped
DUMPLINGS
  • 3 egg lightly beaten
  • salt a healthy pinch
  • 1 1/2 cups water warm
  • 3 cups flour

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Heat the bacon fat over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven or other heavy, lidded pot. Brown the pheasant pieces well, taking your time. Chances are you’ll need to do this in batches.
  2. When the pheasant has been nicely browned, remove the meat. Add the onions to the pot and cook over medium heat until they brown at the edges, about 8 to 10 minutes. You might need to add another tablespoon of fat. Salt them as they cook.
  3. Mix in the paprika, bay leaves, and roasted red peppers, followed by about 1 cup of water. Return the pheasant to the pot. You want the liquid to come up to the sides of the pheasant, but not submerge it. You’ll likely need another cup or two of water. Add some salt, cover the pot, and cook on low heat until the pheasant is tender, about 90 minutes to 2 hours.
  4. While the paprikash is cooking, make the dumplings by mixing all the ingredients together. You want it the consistency of pancake batter—not a dough—so add enough water to get there. Bring to a boil a large pot of water, and salt it well. Put the batter into a spätzle hopper, a colander with wide holes, or a perforated pan and set this over the hot water. Let the batter drip through the holes, making little dumplings (if you’re using a colander or a perforated pan, a rubber spatula will help move the batter through the holes).
  5. Let the dumplings boil on the surface for a minute or two, then scoop them out with a slotted spoon and put them on a baking sheet. Coat with some butter or oil so they don’t stick, and set aside.
  6. When the pheasant is tender, whisk the sour cream and the flour in a bowl, and then add a little of the cooking liquid to this. Stir well and repeat several times, then pour the contents of the bowl into the pot and stir. (This process keeps the sour cream from curdling.)
  7. Turn off the heat and add the chopped parsley. Serve the paprikash over the nokedli.

Notes

  • Other suitable meats include chicken, blue grouse, partridges, Cornish game hens, quail, or rabbit.
  • Adjust cooking times accordingly depending on the meat chosen for tenderness.
  • Prepare dumplings by mixing eggs, salt, flour, and warm water to a batter consistency, then boil to cook.

Nutrition Information

Calories 811kcal (41%) Carbohydrates 57g (19%) Protein 63g (126%) Fat 35g (54%) Saturated Fat 12g (60%) Polyunsaturated Fat 5g (29%) Monounsaturated Fat 15g (75%) Trans Fat 0.01g (1%) Cholesterol 261mg (87%) Sodium 316mg (13%) Potassium 898mg (19%) Fiber 5g (20%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 3874IU (77%) Vitamin C 24mg (27%) Calcium 99mg (10%) Iron 8mg (44%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 811

% Daily Value*

Calories 811kcal 41%
Carbohydrates 57g 19%
Protein 63g 126%
Fat 35g 54%
Saturated Fat 12g 60%
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g 29%
Monounsaturated Fat 15g 75%
Trans Fat 0.01g 1%
Cholesterol 261mg 87%
Sodium 316mg 13%
Potassium 898mg 19%
Fiber 5g 20%
Sugar 3g 6%
Vitamin A 3874IU 77%
Vitamin C 24mg 27%
Calcium 99mg 10%
Iron 8mg 44%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.