Presentation: Use paprika to add a pop of color to your dishes, enhancing their visual appeal.

The process of making paprika begins with the selection of ripe, red peppers. These peppers are harvested and then dried to remove the moisture content. Once dried, the peppers are ground into a fine powder, resulting in the characteristic bright red spice known as paprika.

Mince the garlic. I used a garlic press; a food processor also works well. Then again, nothing wrong with old-fashioned elbow grease!

Unless a recipe specifies otherwise, you’ll maximize your flavor with paprika by adding it later in the cooking time. Prolonged exposure to high temperatures can degrade both the color and the flavor from paprika, creating a less attractive dish.  

I use cornflour as a thickening agent in my sauce. The mixture may look watery at first, but after the cornflour slurry (equal parts cornflour and water) is added, it develops a thicker consistency. However, you can also use potato starch or tapioca starch if that’s what you have on hand.

In addition to sweet and hot paprika, there is also smoked paprika, which is made from peppers that have been smoked over oak fires. This process gives the paprika a distinct smoky flavor, adding depth and complexity to dishes.

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