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Thursday, May 01, 2008

Long Distance Ritual: Chicken Paprika

Perhaps many of you know how much I miss my girlfriend given my previous posts, so I will not belabor the point and dwell on the glaring distance that has been restored between us. Instead, I have chosen to push forward with this long distance relationship and continue with the long distance rituals (see http://acidjazzboy.blogspot.com/2008/01/long-distance-rituals.html and http://acidjazzboy.blogspot.com/2008/03/long-distance-ritual-salmon-asparagus.html) that have constituted the mutual affection conveyed between me and her through these digital channels.

Sitting down for hours and zoned out in front of a computer is a typical day for those working in an office, and that basic characteristic could not have been more evident today. Add jet lag to the mix, and you have a recipe (no pun intended) for silent chaos and restlessness. It was at the point of realizing this uncomfortable state of being that I wanted to cook something delicious for dinner without having to labor extra hard with complex cooking tricks, tedious cutting and the use of half my kitchen tools.

Thanks to a memory of an old friend who cooked me a similar dish in the past, I decided to prepare something simple and tasty: Baked Chicken Paprika. It turned out delicious...perhaps one of the tastier things I have ever prepared.

Rub some rock salt on 2 1/2-3 lbs. of chicken pieces, and place on a baking pan thinly coated with olive oil. I would recommend dark meat pieces (legs, thighs) to allow for sinful drippings. Season the chicken with paprika, and sprinkle a bit of cracked peppercorn (optional) for a bit more kick. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and then cook for 55-60 minutes depending on the amount of chicken.

For long weekdays, this is a perfect bachelor's dinner to prepare.


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