Maldorfinian Delicacies

I take great pleasure in introducing you to the culinary world of Maldorfina, the Carpathian realm protected by the Drakians and their Guardians. This is an attempt to design recipes that have been inspired by the kind of food they ate during their quests.

Often times, they would have to spend a few days in the formidable dark forests until they reached their destinations. During this time, they would depend on the hard rye bread, strips of dried meat and plum wine that they would carry with them in their saddles. However, it was deemed to be a poor meal by these noble lords.

Being skillful warriors, hunting came easy for them. The Carpathian forests teamed with wildlife such as rabbit and deer, offering them a chance to make delicious stews and barbecues over open campfire. Good availability of garlic, root vegetables and herbs in the woods aided them to have hearty meals while they were away from home. A good side effect of the blazing flames was that it kept wild animals and the nulan at bay.

The dishes described in this series are hearty, filling and full of flavor that will make you feel as energetic as our heroine, Lenara Gerrickson. I hope that you will enjoy each of the recipes and the ingredients that induced me to come up with them. Let me know if you would like more recipes like these from the world of The Rose Chronicles.

Today I am starting things off with a spicy chicken paprikash!

Chicken Paprikash

The Guardians often caught rabbit for their dinners. There were plenty of them in the woods and were quite easy to catch with proper traps. They provided a good source of meat as well as flavor to their soups or stews.

Since not all of us have access to rabbit meat in our supermarkets, I cooked this recipe with chicken. It makes an amazing winter warmer.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

800 g Chicken thighs and drumsticks

1 onions, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 green bell pepper, sliced

½ cup sour cream

2 tbsp olive oil

300 mL chicken stock

2 tbsp paprika

1 tbsb plain flour

Salt and pepper, to taste

METHOD:

[1] Pat dry the pieces of chicken.

[2] Heat a deep saucepan and add olive oil. Add pieces of chicken to it, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Browning the meat will add flavor to the sauce later.

[3] Once the chicken has been browned on both the sides, transfer it to a plate.

[4] In the same pan, add onions and peppers. Stir them on a medium low flame. Cook for about 8 to 10 minutes until they caramelize.

[5] Add paprika and stir constantly to avoid scorching.

[6] Add the stock. Mix well and return the pieces of chicken into the pan along with all the juices. Bring to a boil, cover and cook on low flame.

[7] While the chicken is cooking, whisk together the sour cream and flour until smooth.

[8] When the chicken is cooked, take a spoon of the cooking liquid and add to the sour cream mixture, mixing well. Do this for a couple of times until the cream mixture gets heated up and then add it to the saucepan. Keep the flame at its lowest and stir well. When the sauce starts to thicken, switch off the flame.

By now, you will have a lovely, vibrant thick sauce with tender pieces of chicken that is falling off the bones. Sprinkle some chopped parsley on top and serve it with silky egg noodles or plain steamed rice.