Paprika, as far as we
know, was first grown and used in Spain although it is also said that it was
brought to Spain by Columbus from the Americas. Paprika is actually a quite good source of
Vitamin C.
Apparently Hungarians
eat about 2 pounds of paprika each per year!
Paprika is used for its
colour. The flavour is quite mild
compared to cayenne pepper. Not all
paprikas are equal – there are different grades of heat, different shades of
colour and sweet or smoked. You can also
divide paprika up into 3 groups – Hungarian, Spanish and the rest.
Try it with
shellfish. Add it to dips like
hummus. Try adding it to cole slaw or
potato salad. The flavour of paprika only really emerges with heat. Add it to your onions and garlic once they
have softened. Then the paprika is less
likely to burn.
You can also sprinkle
paprika on top of dishes as a little garnish – not with too heavy a hand
though!
When you are buying
paprika try to find it in a glass jar so you can check that the colour is
bright. It will deteriorate with time so
be strong and replace any that has sat around for too long.
Try – sprinkling paprika
over cheese on toast. Add it to tomato
paste or passata when making a stew.
Make your own paprika oil by mixing it with olive oil and leaving it to
stand.
MY Recipes using paprika
- Simple
Jambalaya, Steak
on Buttered Leeks, Ribs,
Chicken
Tenders with a hint of Curry, Beef
Stroganoff, Garlicky
Crumbed Broccoli,
BIBLIOGRAPHY - with thanks to Auckland Libraries
Cook's Encyclopaedia
of Spices by Sallie Morris & Lesley Mackley
Discovering
Vegetables, Herbs & Spices by Susanna Lyle
Spice Market by Jane Lawson
Spicery by Ian &
Elizabeth Hemphill
Spices & Natural
Flavourings by Jennifer Mulherin
Spices by Sophie
Grigson
Spices Condiments and
Seasonings by Kenneth T Farrell
Spices, Salt and
Aromatics in the English Kitchen by Elizabeth David
The Cook's Companion
by Stephanie Alexander
we use paprika powder almost daily / croatian cuisine, hungary is our neightbour, I guess we borrowed this ingridient from them :)
ReplyDeleteYou know how I love any and all types of red chile powders and paprika is no exception. I use it all of the time.
ReplyDelete