Hortobágyi Palacsinta
Golden crepes stuffed with spiced chicken ragout and topped with a silky paprika sour cream sauce. A classic Hungarian comfort dish that looks restaurant-worthy but cooks in under an hour.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 625
- Protein
- 38g
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- ¾ pound boneless chicken thighs
- 1 medium onion
- 1.5 tablespoons sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon caraway seeds
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ cup chicken broth
Instructions
- 1
Pour 0.75 cup flour into a medium bowl, then create a small well in the center of the flour with your finger or spoon.
- 2
Crack 2 eggs into the well, then pour 0.75 cup milk around them. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is completely smooth with no flour lumps, about 1 minute.
- 3
Pour 2 tablespoons melted butter into the batter and whisk until fully combined.
- 4
Let the batter rest at room temperature for 15 minutes so the flour fully absorbs the liquid, making the crepes tender.
- 5
Pat the 0.75 pound chicken thighs dry with paper towels, then cut them into 1-inch pieces by slicing against the grain (the direction the muscle fibers run crosswise through the thigh).
- 6
Slice 1 medium onion lengthwise from root tip to root tip, then rotate the onion 90 degrees and slice crosswise into 0.5-inch-thick half-moon pieces.
- 7
Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it foams and the foam subsides, about 90 seconds.
- 8
Add the chicken pieces to the hot skillet and cook without stirring for 2 minutes until the bottoms are pale gold, then stir and cook another 2 minutes until the outside is sealed but the inside is not yet cooked through.
- 9
Add the onion pieces to the skillet with the chicken and stir once every 20 seconds for 3 minutes until the onion softens and releases its moisture.
- 10
Sprinkle 1.5 tablespoons sweet paprika and 0.5 teaspoon caraway seeds over the chicken and onions, then stir constantly for 30 seconds until the spices smell strongly fragrant and coat every piece.
- 11
Pour 0.75 cup chicken broth into the skillet and stir, scraping up any stuck-on brown bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.
- 12
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring once every minute, for 8 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through and the broth has reduced by about half.
- 13
Heat an 8-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat for 1 minute until it is evenly hot; test by flicking a drop of water on the surface — it should sizzle immediately.
- 14
Pour 0.25 cup batter into the center of the skillet and immediately tilt the pan in a circular motion so the batter spreads into a thin, even layer covering the entire bottom in about 2 seconds.
- 15
Cook for 45 seconds until the top surface looks dull and set (not shiny and wet), then flip the crepe by sliding a thin spatula under one edge, lifting, and turning it over in one fluid motion.
- 16
Cook the second side for 20 seconds until it is pale golden, then slide the crepe onto a clean plate.
- 17
Repeat steps 14–16 with the remaining batter, stacking the finished crepes on the plate as you go. You should make 4 crepes total.
- 18
Whisk 0.75 cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, and 0.5 cup chicken broth together in a small bowl until completely smooth.
- 19
Place one crepe flat on a serving plate, spoon about 3 tablespoons of the chicken filling down the center third, then fold the crepe in half over the filling like a business letter.
- 20
Repeat with the remaining 3 crepes, arranging 2 filled crepes per plate.
- 21
Pour half of the paprika sauce in a thin stream over the crepes on each plate, covering the top surface evenly.
- 22
Serve immediately while the crepes are warm and the sauce is smooth and glossy.
Tools you’ll need
- medium mixing bowl
- whisk
- large skillet
- wooden spoon
- 8-inch non-stick skillet
- thin spatula
- small bowl
- serving plates
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