Hungarian Chicken Stew Over Puree of Parsley Root

Hungarian Chicken Stew

• 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 large banana pepper, or a serrano, or 2 yellow chiles, seeded and chopped
• 1 heaping tbsp Hungarian sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon hot or half-sharp paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (sweet)
• 1 teaspoon powdered porcini mushrooms
• 1/4 teaspoon (each) fennel seed, dried rosemary, dried thyme, and dried marjoram, ground together
• 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 15 oz can stewed tomatoes
• 2 cups chicken broth
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup sour cream

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Season the chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large saute pan or Dutch oven. Place the thighs skin-side down in the pan and brown on both sides. Remove the chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm. (Depending on how much fat has rendered, you may want to discard some of it.)
2. Lower the heat slightly and add the butter. When the butter has melted, add onions and sauté until tender and translucent and starting to brown. Add the mushrooms and cook a few minutes more, until they begin to brown as well. Add the garlic and peppers and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then add the paprikas, the porcini powder, and the rest of the herbs and spices. Cook, stirring, about a minute. Deglaze with wine, stirring to scrape up any browned bits, and cook until mostly evaporated. Add tomatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Return chicken to the pan, skin side up, cover, and place in the oven. Cook 1 ½ hours or until chicken is falling off the bone.
3. Remove the pan from the oven. Remove chicken to a plate and allow to cool. Place sour cream in a small bowl and add a couple of spoonfuls of sauce from the pan. Whisk together to temper the cream, then add the mixture back to the pan, stirring to incorporate. Season to taste with salt and pepper. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin and bones and shred the meat by hand. Return the shredded meat to the sauce and heat gently on the stovetop until warmed through. Serve over puree of parsley root topped with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of chopped parsley.

Puree of Parsley Root

• 1 pound parsley root, peeled and chopped (you can use the parsley tops for garnish or where parsley is called for in the chicken stew)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 or 2 thyme sprigs
• 2 or 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• salt and pepper, to taste
• sprinkle of dried tarragon (optional)
• 1/2 tablespoon butter

1. Set the cream, garlic, and thyme in a saucepan over medium-low heat and slowly reduce by half. While the cream is reducing, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add chopped parsley root and cook until tender. Drain, then return the vegetables to the pan and set over low heat to dry them a bit. Add the butter, the cream mixture (remove the thyme sprig), and the tarragon, if using. Lightly puree using an immersion blender or potato masher. You can also use a blender or food processor, but take care not to overprocess--ideally, you want to maintain some texture (you may not have to use all of the cream).