Savory, meaty, and hearty, Hungarian food is perfect to warm you up on a cold night. If you’re not careful with portion control, it’s also great to “put some meat on those bones,” a perpetual wish of my German grandmother for me. All that can be summed up in one word: delicious.
Chicken paprikash is one of the most famous Hungarian dishes along with goulash. Paprika, though, is one of a group of peppers known as sweet peppers, which cross-react with latex, so I set out to make this fabulous dish without its namesake spice. Along the way, I ended up making other changes that made it a little less “chicken paprikash” but still quite “paprikesque.”
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Allergy notes:
- Chicken is sometimes injected with “natural flavorings” or unidentified “spices.” Read labels carefully to make sure you are not eating anything you might react to.
- Read the label on the green chili can. Most contain just the chilis, water, and citric acid as a preservative, but it’s always good to double check. Note that although citrus fruits cross-react with latex, it’s not the citric acid that causes the reaction, according Dr. Phil Lieberman of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
- Tomatillos, while related to tomatoes, are not the same species or even the same genus. That said, if you’ve never eaten them before, be sure to try them, as all new foods, carefully with the guidance of your allergist.
- Gluten-free oat flour is wheat-free and technically gluten-free, but some people with gluten intolerance are also unable to tolerate avenin in oats. If that is your situation, you can replace the oat flour with 1 1/2 Tbsp. of corn starch.
- Broth often has unidentified “spices” or “natural flavors” of unknown origin as well as known ingredients like celery and soy, which cross-react with latex. Be sure to choose a broth that is free of cross-reactive ingredients or make your own.
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | 1 hour |
| Servings |
servings
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- 4 oz cooked beets
- 4 tomatillos outer portion only
- 1 4 oz can green chilis
- 3-4 lbs chicken pieces well salted
- 1-2 Tbsp pure canola oil
- black pepper to taste
- 1 medium sweet onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 Tbsp gluten-free oat flour
- 3 Tbsp chili California powder
- 1 cup chicken broth
Ingredients
Beet Mixture
Main Ingredients
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|
- Generously salt the chicken pieces and add pepper to taste. Let stand while preparing the beet mixture.
- Quarter the 4 tomatillos; then peel back the outer flesh from the seeds and inner fruit. Discard the inner portion.
- Prepare the beet mixture by putting the green chilis, beets, and tomatillos into a food processor. Puree the mixture and set aside.
- Add canola oil to a large, deep skillet, and brown the chicken pieces over medium high heat. Remove from pan and set aside. If there is a lot of fat, drain most of it, leaving a light coating to help keep the onions from sticking.
- In the same pan, sauté the onion. When the onion becomes translucent, add the minced garlic and continue until the garlic becomes soft and begins to brown.
- Turn off the heat and add the flour and ground chili. Stir to coat the onions; then stir in the beet mixture and broth.
- Place the browned chicken pieces into the pan along with any drippings that are in the bottom of the bowl. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 180 ℉.
- Serve over wheat-free noodles with a side of green vegetables and/or red cabbage.
My recipes avoid all ingredients listed on the American Latex Allergy Association website as known for cross-reacting with latex as well as a few other ingredients that I have discovered elsewhere. However, latex-fruit syndrome is still an emerging issue and poorly understood. There may be other foods that cross-react, and people with latex-fruit syndrome often have other food allergies independent of their latex allergy. Each individual is different, so be sure to discuss with your allergist the safest way for you to try out ingredients that are new to you before you cook with them.