The Grand Tour Story
The Grand Tour rolls north from Poland into Hungary, where grand old buildings line the banks of the Danube and
the streets of Budapest glow beneath yellow tram lights. The cafés are warm, the markets are full of hanging strings
of paprika, and almost every kitchen seems to have a pot quietly bubbling away on the stove.
There is one spice that rules here.
Paprika.
Sweet paprika.
Hot paprika.
Smoked paprika.
Hungarians don't just season with it—they build meals around it.
Our guide, László, stirs a rich red sauce before lowering thick chicken thighs into the pot.
He smiles.
"People think paprika makes food red."
"It makes it Hungarian."
One plate later, we understood exactly what he meant.
You’ll Need
For the Chicken
6 boneless chicken thighs
2 tbsp sunflower oil, 1 large onion, finely sliced, 3 cloves garlic, finely grated
Paprika Sauce
200ml chicken stock, 150ml sour cream, 2 tbsp tomato purée
2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika, 1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp hot paprika (optional)
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp cracked black pepper
To Finish
Fresh parsley, chopped
Optional but dangerous
Buttered egg noodles
Mashed potatoes
Crusty bread
Cold Hungarian lager
Method
Preheat your air fryer to 190°C.
Add the sunflower oil, onion and garlic to a foil tray or heatproof dish.
Air fry for 5–6 minutes, stirring once, until softened.
Stir in the tomato purée, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, hot paprika if using, marjoram, sea salt and black pepper.
Pour in the chicken stock and stir until smooth.
Nestle the chicken thighs into the sauce.
Air fry at 190°C for 18–20 minutes, turning the chicken halfway through, until fully cooked.
Stir the sour cream into the sauce during the final 3 minutes, mixing gently until the sauce becomes rich, silky and
lightly thickened.
Scatter with chopped parsley.
Serve immediately over buttered egg noodles, mashed potatoes or with plenty of crusty bread.