Hortobágyi Palacsinta — Chicken Crepes in Paprika Sauce

In a bowl, whisk together 150 g flour, the eggs, 2 g salt, and approximately half the milk until smooth. Gradually whisk in the remaining milk, 100 ml water, and 10 ml oil. Cover and let rest for approximately 30 minutes so the flour absorbs the liquid; use this time to prepare the vegetables and start cooking the meat.

Cut the chicken thigh meat into approximately 3 cm pieces. Finely chop the onion and garlic, and finely dice the green pepper and tomato. Have ready a wide pot or deep skillet with a lid, a nonstick crepe pan approximately 24 cm in diameter, and an ovenproof dish approximately 30 × 22 cm.

Heat 20 ml oil in the wide pot over medium heat, add the onion, and cook for approximately 7–8 minutes until softened. Add the chicken pieces and cook for approximately 5–6 minutes, stirring and turning the meat. Add the garlic, green pepper, and tomato and cook for approximately 4–5 minutes more, until the vegetables release their juices.

Remove the pot from the burner, add the sweet ground paprika, caraway, pepper, and remaining 6 g salt, and immediately stir into the moist base. Pour in all 250 ml stock, return to the burner, and bring to a gentle boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for approximately 30–35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked all the way through and very tender, easy to pull apart with a fork. Cook the crepes while the chicken simmers.

Stir the rested batter and heat the pan thoroughly over medium heat. Measure out the remaining 10 ml oil for cooking and use it to lightly brush the pan before each crepe. Pour in approximately one eighth of the batter each time, about 65–70 ml, and immediately swirl the pan to coat the bottom. Cook for approximately 1–2 minutes on the first side and 30–45 seconds on the second. Make eight soft crepes this way, using all the batter, and stack them under a cover; allow approximately 20–25 minutes for the whole batch.

Preheat a conventional oven (no fan) to 180°C. Lift the tender chicken onto a cutting board with a slotted spoon, keeping all the liquid, vegetables, and fat in the pot. Once the meat has cooled slightly, finely chop it with a knife and transfer to a bowl, adding any juices left on the board as well.

Remove the pot from the heat and blend the remaining paprika base until smooth with an immersion blender. In a bowl, mix 200 g sour cream with the remaining 15 g flour, then gradually stir in approximately 100 ml hot base from the pot. Pour the tempered sour cream back into the sauce, stirring constantly, and heat over low heat to a gentle boil. Simmer for approximately 3–4 minutes, stirring, until the sauce is smooth, creamy, and slightly thickened; avoid vigorous bubbling.

Stir 120 ml of the finished sauce into the chopped chicken and divide all the filling into eight equal portions. Put a portion in the center of each crepe. Fold two opposite sides inward, then the remaining two edges, enclosing the filling in a rectangular envelope. Spread 100 ml sauce over the bottom of the ovenproof dish and arrange the crepes side by side, seam-side down. Pour over all the remaining sauce, covering the crepe edges too.

Place the dish on the middle rack of the oven preheated to 180°C and bake for approximately 15–20 minutes, until the crepes are hot in the center and the sauce starts bubbling gently around the edges. Serve two envelopes on each of four plates, spooning out all the sauce from the dish as well. Divide the remaining 50 g sour cream among the portions and sprinkle with all the finely chopped parsley. Serve immediately.