Soooo .... I bought some paprika


 
Lynn Dollar

Lynn Dollar

TVWBB Emerald Member
We were running low and I was not sure what to buy ....... so I bought three varieties.

US Chef Store had good prices. I got a cheap variety of smoked paprika from WalMart, that stuff can get expensive.

What do I do with each ?

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Lynn, paprika is a super versatile spice, that can be a subtle flavor addition that also adds a pop of color to lots of dishes. I use it to make Spanish Chorizo (fresh or smoked), or when I'm seasoning just about any protein, veggies, etc. As to when you would use each? Taste them and see how they differ. The labelling isn't super specific, so not sure if those are both "sweet" (aka, not hot/spicy) varieties for the Spanish and Hungarian, but they probably are. Make some goulash or paprikash with the Hungarian. Do some Spanish inspired chicken thighs with the Spanish (season thighs with salt/pepper/garlic powder/paprika, sear in a skillet, then braise covered with some chicken stock and sliced pimento-stuffed olives.)

HERE are some ideas from bonappetit.com.......

R
 
Lynn, as you would guess, there are quite a lot you can do with those spices. For starters, I have a recipe called "Spice-Rubbed Chicken with Mustard-Chive Sauce" that calls for either "Mild Spanish Paprika" or "Hungarian Sweet Paprika".

I also have a lot that call for "Smoked Paprika" such as Firecracker Chicken Wings, Barcelona Burgers, Tex-Mex Turkey Burgers with Avocado Mayonnaise, Smoked Paprika Shrimp with Lime Dip and the list goes on, you get the idea. lol Oooo, a couple of rub recipes using Hungarian Paprika.
 
Most of the rub recipes I've used, just call for paprika. And I always thought it was used just for color. So if a recipe just says paprika, its my option to use the Spanish or Hungarian ?
 
Lynn Dollar said:
Most of the rub recipes I've used, just call for paprika. And I always thought it was used just for color. So if a recipe just says paprika, its my option to use the Spanish or Hungarian ?
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In my experience, they are pretty interchangeable. I think they are used in most BBQ rubs for color and filler/profit booster like most non-bbq rubs use too much salt. All of the paprika I've tried is very subtle and I really haven't noticed a difference in rubs because it's so subtle behind all of the other spices in them. I haven't tried any of the more expensive varieties though from specialty spice shops that offer the hot paprika, etc.
 
I think that the Hungarian is a bit sweeter than the Spanish but, try them and see for yourself. The thing is, paprika will lose its flavor over time, I would store those larger containers in the fridge for longevity.
 
Yea those are some generic labeling. The Hungarian can be sweet or hot and the Spanish could be smoked or not.
 
timothy said:
Yea those are some generic labeling. The Hungarian can be sweet or hot and the Spanish could be smoked or not.
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I priced 18 oz container of paprika at Amazon, was around $10 to $11. I bought both of those at US Chef Store for about the same money. It will take a while to go through it, but its cheap. The smoked paprika cost almost as much.
 
Lynn, I recently joined the smoked paprika club. It can add an interesting dimension to most dishes that are not disturbed by the color. Soups, stews, chili, meat dishes too. I you need some complexity, it can often help.
 
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