Chicken paprikash with dumplings

Dry brine the chicken thighs.

Finely chop half a yellow onion and one large cored red bell pepper, and very finely mince one small carrot.

Pat the thighs dry and lay them skin side down in a cold skillet, spreading the skin flush against the pan before turning on the heat; they will lift off when the skin has crisped evenly.

With about two tablespoons of rendered chicken fat in the pan and two more added, saute the chopped onion, then the red bell pepper and carrot, three to five minutes to sweat them.

Crush in three cloves of garlic and saute 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add about three tablespoons of sweet Hungarian paprika and toast 30 seconds, add a little more fat and saute until fragrant.

Add a tablespoon of all purpose flour and saute another 30 seconds.

Deglaze with splashes of the chicken stock, then add the rest with the tomatoes and simmer a couple of minutes.

Add the chicken thighs with the skin above the water line and braise at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes.

Beat the eggs with the kosher salt and sour cream until smooth, then add 100 g of flour to make a thick batter.

With two spoons dipped in a cup of hot boiling water, scrape little half teaspoons of the batter into boiling water and cook about six minutes until chewy, bouncy and tender.

Drain the dumplings, return them to the hot pan with a big pad of butter and a little cooking water and stir to coat.

Whisk two parts sour cream with one part preserved lemon liquid, a teaspoon of chopped dill and some chives until homogeneous.

Lay down a bed of dumplings, top with the stew liquid and the crispy thighs, season with a little extra salt, drizzle generously with the preserved lemon sour cream and garnish with chives.