If you are using a whole chicken, start by separating it into separate parts and season them on both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat the rendered bacon fat in a large rondeau pot over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke lightly.
Next, add the chicken, skin down, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until golden brown.
Remove the chicken and set it aside on a plate.
Add the onions to the pan and cook for 15 to 20 minutes over low to medium heat while stirring until they have become caramelized.
Add the peppers and sauté over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and cook it until it’s fragrant, which takes about 30 seconds.
Pour in the tomatoes and cook for 4 to 5 minutes to stew them and break them down.
Stir in the paprika until combined.
Pour in the chicken stock and season it well with salt and pepper.
Place the cooked chicken back in, place on a lid, and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the chicken is very tender.
In a bowl, whisk together the sour cream and flour until combined.
Pour about a ½ cup of the chicken braising liquid into the bowl with the sour cream and mix.
Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan and whisk in the sour cream mixture and bring to a boil to thicken. It should be thick and creamy like alfredo sauce.
Add the chicken back to the pan and heat up for 2 to 3 minutes before serving with additional sour cream and optional chopped chives.
Notes
Make-Ahead: You can make this chicken paprikash up to 1 hour ahead of time; Just keep it in the pan covered over low heat.How to Store: Cover it and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This will freeze covered for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of chicken paprikash to a saucepan and heat over low heat until hot.If, for some reason, the sauce does not thicken after bringing it to a boil with the sour cream mixture, try to make a slurry of 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with water and add it to the pot once it is boiling.