I use chicken stock instead of water, brown the chicken thighs in lard, and always use real Hungarian sweet paprika in vast quantities. Paprika is a natural thickener, so you don't really have to add the flour to the cream mixture. In fact, I usually skip the flour as it tends to make it a bit gluey. I prefer it over the dumplings, but the man of the house likes egg noodles instead, so that's how I usually serve it, with a nice cucumber salad. I don't add tomatoes or peppers. I'm getting loads of flavor from that good paprika, so I want it to shine. I'll make it any time of year, but it really sings as a winter dish, so I like to serve it with sliced oranges for dessert.
