lard guy

i'm pretty into anything spicy, tangy & salty, and the absolute best is when the three flavors combine.  larb gai is quick to whip up and can be served hot in the winter or cold in the summer, or medium temperature any time of year.

LARB GAI

2 tablespoons roasted rice powder (available at Asian markets in the spice aisle)

16 ounces ground chicken breast (you can also use dark meat, pork or beef)

1/2 teaspoon hot chili powder, preferably Thai or Lao

8 teaspoons fish sauce (nam pla)

2 limes, juiced

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup slivered red onions

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons sliced green onions

10 whole mint leaves

Iceberg lettuce leaves for serving

4 cups cooked sticky or jasmine rice, for serving.

Mix lime juice, fish sauce and sugar in a small bowl and set aside. In an oiled wok on medium heat, cook the ground chicken, stirring to break up any chunks.  Remove from heat and place chicken in a mixing bowl, add the rice powder and chili powder and stir. Add in the onions, cilantro, green onion and mint.  Pour the lime, sugar and fish sauce mixture over the ingredients and stir to combine.  Spoon onto a plate and surround with mint and lettuce leaves. Serve with rice or scoop larb into lettuce leaves.

chicken tikka masala

Chicken tikka masala is an Indian curry that consists of marinated, roasted chicken (tikka) in a rich, tomato-based sauce. The dish is creamy, has the slight sweetness of tomatoes, and the aroma of cloves and coriander. It was said to have first been made in a Bangladeshi restaurant in Scotland, and has since become the most popular dish in British restaurants.  It's probably my favorite Indian dish next to saag paneer and chicken tikka kabobs, so it's a good one to learn how to make at home. My at home creation is still not quite as good as Mayuri's Tikka Masala deliciousness, but it's getting closer.  

You begin by marinating the chicken in yogurt and spices and grilling or broiling it, once the chicken has cooked it's added it to the creamy, spiced tomato sauce and can be served over basmati rice and alongside naan, for dipping in the extra sauce.  

This recipe includes one spice that you may not have on hand, garam masala or tikka masala spice, but both can be purchased either at an Indian grocery or at Uwajimaya and are worth the investment. Also, the cream, if the sauce is thicker and richer than you'd like at the end of cooking, you can thin it with a cup or more of milk. I added a little more than a cup of milk to the sauce last time and it worked well.

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA  

For the chicken marinade:

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-2 inch chunks

2 cups plain yogurt

2 tbsp. lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tbsp. ginger, finely grated

1 1/2 tsp. cumin

1 1/2 tsp. coriander

1 tsp.  cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. turmeric

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

salt and pepper

Mix all marinade ingredients in a large bowl and add chicken chunks.  Refrigerate this mixture for 1 hour or overnight, depending on how much time you have. Once chicken has marinated, skewer and place on a cookie sheet, and set aside until sauce has been prepared.

For the masala sauce:

2 tbsp. butter

1 jalapeño pepper

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tsp. ginger, finely grated

2 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. salt (or to taste)

1 tbsp. garam masala or tikka masala spice

1 small can tomato paste

2 cups cream

1 cup milk (optional)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

In a large skillet melt the butter, add the jalapeño, onion, garlic and ginger and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until tender.  Add the cayenne, cumin, garam masala, and salt. Add the tomato paste and incorporate with the seasonings, whisk in the heavy cream and milk and reduce heat to low, allowing the sauce to simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.  

While the sauce is simmering, grill or broil the chicken skewers for about 6 minutes on each side.  Remove the chicken from the skewers and add to the sauce along with the fresh cilantro.  Cook everything for an additional 10 minutes and serve with steamed basmati rice and naan (Trader Joe's has some really good naan options).  

it's a street, it's a way to open stuff...

Sesame. It's also a nutty-flavored seed, an oil and apparently a plant with yellow blossoms and seed pods.  Dan and I made this sesame chicken for dinner earlier in the week, to go with the snappy fried rice.  It was pretty quick and introduced me to a new way of battering chicken. Since the batter contained cornstarch, baking powder and baking soda, it puffed up during frying and became light and airy.

Here's the recipe:

SWEET & SAVORY SESAME CHICKEN
For the chicken marinade/batter:
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. dry sherry
2 tbsp.  water
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast meat, cubed

For the sauce:
1 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
3 tbsp. dark soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. chile paste
5 cloves of garlic, minced
3-6 hot pepper pods
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water

3 green onions, sliced for garnish
2 tsp. sesame seeds

In a medium bowl combine sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, chile paste and chicken broth.  Set aside.  In another bowl combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and baking powder and stir.  Pour in soy sauce, sherry, 2 tbsp. water and vegetable oil and stir until smooth.  Stir in chicken pieces until coated and marinate in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, with a splash of oil saute the pepper pods and garlic in a separate pan.  Add in combined sauce ingredients (sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, chile paste and chicken broth), and bring to a boil.  Dissolve the 1/4 cup of cornstarch into 1/2 cup of water and add to the mixture.  Simmer and stir until sauce thickens and becomes clear.  Reduce heat to low.

Heat oil in a large saucepan until it reaches 375 degrees.  Drop in battered chicken pieces, a few at a time, and fry until they cook to a nice golden brown and float to the top of the oil.  About 3-4 minutes.  Drain on a paper towel lined plate.  Add chicken to the sauce mixture and stir to coat the individual pieces.  Sprinkle with
sesame seeds and green onions to serve.  Serve with fried or steamed rice.

spring chicken

Calm and sunny spring days call for simple, flavorful food. Roast chicken and a salad make a tasty spring dinner. 

Every season on Top Chef a panel of celebrity judges is brought in to judge the "Last Meal" or "Last Supper" Challenge, where contestants are tasked with creating the best meal of their lives based on a celebrity judge's favorite food. On one of these episodes Thomas Keller, renowned chef and owner of The French Laundry, declared that he's spent his life perfecting his recipe and technique for a simple roasted chicken, and considers it the last meal he'd ever want to eat in this lifetime. Roast chicken has always been one of my favorites, and something my mom made a lot growing up. I figured, with such a bold declaration, it was at least worth trying once before my last meal. Because what if I want to eat it a couple more times before my last meal rolls around? I was very impressed, Thom's life's work has not gone unnoticed. This is one tasty hunk of meat.

THOMAS KELLER'S SIMPLE ROAST CHICKEN

(Recipe courtesy of Thomas Keller's Bouchon)

3-5 pound whole chicken

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons minced thyme

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.

Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird. Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly, and it also makes for a more beautiful roasted bird. Now, salt the chicken, by pouring salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1 tablespoon). When it's cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp skin. Season to taste with pepper.

Place the chicken in a roasting pan or baking dish, and when the oven is up to temperature, put the chicken in the oven. I leave it alone—I don't baste it, I don't add butter; you can if you wish, but I feel this creates steam, which I don't want. Roast it until it's done, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove it from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board. Serve with a simple salad, and bread to soak up some of the juices.