Sunday, March 15, 2009

Curry Chicken

Chicken Curry is fine, too! The only different is Curry Chicken is marinated, and Chicken Curry is not marinated. What’s the difference, right? But in our kitchen, we all have to call out the dishes correctly, or else my aunts would complain.

We tried to take decent close-ups of dish been prepared in various stages. Use your imagination; allow some room for creativity, but do follow these guidelines. Cooking is an art, and not an exact science in itself.

Step One: Thaw the chicken overnight, if it is frozen. Thaw it in the refrigerator side, removing it to room temperature two hours before you are ready.

Step Two: Use a sharp butcher knife to cut it up into two-finger size pieces. Try not to cut it into too many small pieces. Small pieces make it fall apart earlier on in your cooking; not to mention lots of chicken bone fragments as a result.

Step Three: Sauté the meat with two tablespoons of butter. Brown the meat on all sides. Do not let the butter caramelize. Then add sugar, and salt. Transfer the chicken pieces into a large mixing bowl. Discard the fat in frying pan.

Step Four: Sauté garlic, lemongrass in one tablespoon of olive oil. Remove it when it just turns golden brown. Transfer the chicken pieces back into frying pan. Add the sautéed garlic, and lemongrass.

Step Five: Add about one quarter cup of good white wine.
Fry the mix until there was no liquid left in the pan. This
should take no more than fifteen minutes on med-high heat. Center temperature should be about 170 degrees F to 180 degrees F. Then transfer the dish back into the large mixing bowl.

Step Six: Mix in about two ounces of good quality curry powder. Transfer the dish back into frying pan. Keep the heat between low and med-high. Add about two-third cup of coconut milk. Mix well then cover the pan. Allow it to simmer for forty minutes. Stir it a couple of times in between.

Step Seven: Add two to three cups of beef broth. Add a little fish sauce to taste.

Step Eight: Add carrots, potatoes last. Garnish your serving with some cilantro, and green chives. Serve the dish hot with steamed rice for your family dinner. Bring some left over for lunch tomorrow.

Can’t beat it!

Cane Manna