Category: Poultry

Maunika Gowardhan’s Pomegrante and Chilli Spice Chicken (Anardana Murgh)

.Reading time 3 minutes.

Serves: 4

I typed up this wonderful Thali Nat and I plated a while back, from the aptly named cookbook ‘Thali’ by Maunika Gowardhan. And now I am back with the absolutely wonderful chicken curry.

Served alongside an excellent Spiced Turmeric & Coriander Potato Curry from the same book, this chicken curry is just pure moorish.

It is also really unique in terms of the heavy use of pomegranate powder, a style I had never encountered and wasn’t really sure of. (Note: I substituted mango powder (Amchur) which has essentially the same tanginess and qualities.)

It’s also a pretty simple recipe.

An absolute homerun of a curry. Mate it with a vegetable curry for a dahl and this is the perfect way to end the week and say hello to an Autumn weekend.

Ingredients

1kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tbsp vegetable oil
300gm white onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 c chicken stock
Salt to taste
2 green bird’s-eye chillies, slit lengthways
2 tbsp roughly chopped coriander leaves

For the pomegranate marinade

4 tbsp pomegranate powder (substitute mango powder (Amchur))
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1 tbsp ground coriander
6 garlic cloves, pounded to a paste*
5cm ginger root, grated*
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Method

  1. First, make the marinade by mixing all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Smear the mixture over the chicken pieces and leave to marinate in the fridge for 3 – 4 hours or overnight.
  2. When you are ready to cook, heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat. Fry the onions for 11 – 12 minutes, until they are soft and turn light brown.
  3. Tip in the marinated chicken pieces and fry, sealing the meat, then continue to fry for 5 minutes until the chicken is browned. Add the garam masala and stir well. Now add the stock, then season and bring to the boil.
  4. Reduce the heat to low, letting the mixture simmer gently. Cover the pan and cook for 9 – 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, stirring halfway through.
  5. Add the green chillies and fresh coriander. Stir and serve with warm paratha or rice.

* I always substitute garlic ginger paste from all good Indian supermarkets.

David Thompson’s Coconut Chicken Salad

.Reading time 2 minutes.

Serves: 2 – 4

This recipe dates back to the days of Darley Street Thai.

And wasn’t that just a brilliant restaurant, especially in the day. (I’m showing my age aren’t I?!)

We did a long Thai lunch, cooked exclusively from David’s tome of Thai cooking, ‘Thai Cooking’.

The pork and prawn egg nets by Nat were incredible, though this chicken salad was the standout. Totally luxurious, svelt, moorish and refreshing, all at the same time. And that kaffir lime!

Classicly good Thai – Royal Thai – cooking.

By itself or alongside a hot and sour curry, this simply speaks to why the Thais are just so clever with their food.

Yum!

Ingredients

1 c coconut cream
Pinch of salt
150gm skinless chicken breast fillet
1 – 2 tbsp chicken stock
Large pinch palm sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 tbsp lime juice
2 stalks lemongrass, very finely sliced
3 red shallots, sliced*
4 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded
1 tbsp shredded coriander leaves
Handful of Thai basil leaves
1 tbsp ground, roasted peanuts

Paste

3 long red chillies, deseeded and grilled
2 garlic cloves, grilled and then peeled
Large pinch of salt

Method

  1. First, make the paste: gradually pound the ingredients together, using a pestle and mortar, until smooth.
  2. Heat coconut cream with salt, add chicken breast and simmer very gently until cooked (4 – 5 minutes). If the coconut cream seems about to separate, add a few tbsp of stock. Remove chicken, cool and shred.
  3. Return four tbsp of the coconut cream to the boil and mix in the paste. Season with the palm sugar, fish sauce and lime juice: it should taste rich, salty, sweet and sour. Mix in all the remaining ingredients and serve with a sprinkling of the peanuts.

* We tend to have quite large shallots in Australia and three of these would be too much. Play it by ear.

Ajoy Joshi’s Hyderabadi Chicken

.Reading time 2 minutes.

Serves: 4

Well, here we are again.

Another Ajoy Joshi homerun curry, completely consistent with his wonderful use of onions and a yoghurt marinade.

The addition of the sesame seed and peanut paste adds luxury and when served alongside this completely contrasting okra dish by Nat, it was just an absolutely, if understated lunch.

Flavours that just complimented each other so easily, we really had no words.

Ajoy has an unusual approach of sealing the pot – for the final 45 minutes – with a large metal bowl in order to steam the chicken and seal the delicious flavour.

I skipped this step. I made the marinade the night before and then cooked until I had a wonderful yoghurt gravy. The result was just excellent and I have adjusted the recipe this way.

Hats off Ajoy Joshi. Truly a signature dish and one he is famous for.

Ingredients

1kg chicken thigh fillets, cut into large cubes without trimming off the fat
1 tbsp sesame seeds
50gm peanuts
Milk
1/3 c vegetable/canola oil
1 onion, sliced
Salt
1 tbsp crushed ginger
1 tbsp crushed garlic*
1 1/2 tbsp crushed green chilli
Pinch of turmeric
1 1/2 c natural yoghurt
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp black cumin seeds
1 tbsp lemon juice

Method

  1. Toast the sesame seeds and peanuts in a dry frying pan then grind to a paste. Mix the paste with a little milk.
  2. Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan and add the onion and 2 pinches of salt. Cook over medium-high heat until caramelised and golden brown. Remove from the heat.
  3. Place the peanut paste, ginger, chilli, turmeric, yoghurt, garam masala, cumin seeds and a pinch of salt in a large bowl and mix together. Stir in the fried onion and chicken. Leave to marinate for 10 minutes.
  4. Put the chicken and marinate in the saucepan used for the onions and cook over a medium-heat for 40 minutes until you have a thickish gravy. Just before serving, stir through the lemon juice.

* I’ve said it before. Get yourself a jar of garlic ginger pasta and cruise through this step!

Valeria Necchio’s Duck Ragù with Bigoli

.Reading time 3 minutes.

Serves: 6

Another absolutely incredible Valeria Necchio pasta.

Another pasta well at the peak of our ongoing ‘world’s greatest pasta challenge’ as we countdown the days to the arrival of Baby #4.

There is something so wonderfully subtle and scented about the ragù. This is class on a plate. 2-hat pasta class and I’m not overstating that.

Wow.

Nat made a nutty wholemeal pasta to go alongside and it just delivered that final, extra kick. If you don’t make your own pasta, try and find bigoli as your pasta.

I made the ragù ahead of time and reheated it with a knob of butter to add a little silk. I commend this to you.

Otherwise, this is the occasion to chill a good Vermentino, sprinkle plenty of Parmesan on the pasta, serve a side bowl of green leaves and enjoy.

This is why life is good.

Ingredients

500gm of minced duck, including fat and skin*
2 garlic cloves, slightly crushed
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
240ml of dry white wine
480ml of duck stock or vegetable stock
2 juniper berries
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Knob of butter when reheating

To serve

500gm of fresh bigoli pasta (or thick fresh spaghetti)
100gm of Parmesan

Method

  1. To make the duck ragù, heat the oil in a large, heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic and rosemary and allow them to infuse in the oil for a few minutes, stirring often.
  2. Add the duck mince and increase the heat to a medium-high heat. Cook for 4 – 5 minutes, until evenly browned and season generously.
  3. Pour in the wine and stock and add the juniper berries. Bring everything to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook the ragù for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally and adding a little stock if the ragù becomes too dry.
  4. Once the liquid has reduced completely and only an oily sauce remains, remove from the heat and discard the rosemary, juniper and garlic. Cover and keep warm.
  5. Cook your pasta and drain. Reheat the ragù, adding a little butter. Toss through the ragù with the pasta and half the Parmesan. Serve with the rest of the Parmesan.

* I left the procurement of duck for this recipe quite late and only had the option of duck breasts with the skin and fat. I was concerned that this would not be fatty enough for a ragù, though after mincing and cooking, rest assured it is. 3 duck breasts is about what you need here.

Nando’s Peri Peri Chicken LOADED Burger – with thanks to RecipeTinEats

.Reading time 4 minutes.

Serves: 4

As we count down the weeks in single digits to the arrival of baby #4 – the first girl in the Beerworth family after Nat of course – Nat and I are carving out more and more time during the week to be together, preparing the house and hopefully, fitting in a late lunch to talk through the logistics and fun coming up.

Last Friday was sunny, we had new plants to pot, the cleaner had almost finished and it was time to regroup and walk-through the slimming running sheet of things to be done.

Enter, this incredible burger (plated on a toasted wholemeal baguette).

I initially chose this recipe – from the always reliable RecipeTinEats – because I needed something I could prepare in advance and then complete on the BBQ with a small outdoor kitchen. The cleaner in the house, remember?

I’m giving almost full credit here to RecipeTinEats. This is a very, very good marinade and pink sauce.

Indeed, Tom – our 12-year old – wants charcoaled chicken wraps for both himself and his friends for an upcoming sleepover to celebrate birthday #13 and I am definitely doing this marinade, minus maybe a chilli or two. Maybe on skewers over charcoal next time, rather than just on the BBQ?*

My addition of bacon, cheese and avocado though, took this burger to the LOADED level.

And nothing ever tastes better than on a toasted baguette.

I don’t eat much fast food though if you told me this was a limited-time burger – let alone their signature dish – I would not have doubted it.

Perfect heat. Perfect crunch. Just bloody wonderful.

Nat and I keep talking about honing in on a signature sandwich for both of us.

I’m a poached chicken and herbed-mayo slaw on a Vienna sort of guy and that is a sandwich I’m going to get right.

In the meantime, I’ll take this burger/baguette.

Bloody great.

(I have adapted this recipe to how we cooked it.)

Ingredients

Peri-Peri Sauce/Marinade

1 – 3 birds eye chillies (I used 3)
1 large red capsicum
5 garlic cloves
3 tbsp vegetable oil
4 tbsp malt vinegar
2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp white sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
Black pepper

Pink Sauce

3 tbsp Peri Peri Sauce (above)
1/2 c whole egg mayonnaise
1/4 c sour cream

Burgers

1 tbsp olive oil
4 chicken thighs
8 rashers of bacon
1 avocado
4 slices of cheddar cheese
2 tomatoes
Lettuce of choice
Baguette, cut into fours and sliced horizontally

Method

  1. Place the Peri Peri Sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour 1/2 c into a ziplock bag with the chicken and marinate overnight.
  2. Mix together 3 tbsp of the Peri Peri Sauce together with the Pink Sauce ingredients. Set aside/refrigerate.
  3. Toast the baguettes and fry the bacon.
  4. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a fry-pan or BBQ. Add the chicken and cook each side for 4 – 5 minutes until golden brown. Cover and rest for 5 minutes.
  5. To make the burgers/baguette, smother one side of the bread with pink sauce and the other with a quarter of the avocado. Slice the chicken and layer chicken, cheese, tomato and lettuce.
  6. A beer not essentially though recommended!

* Whether you cook the chicken in a skillet or over flames, get as much char on it as you can.

Adam Liaw’s Master Stock Poached Chicken Breast

.Reading time 3 minutes.

Serves: 2

This is an absolutely wonderful way to prepare chicken breast in such a favourful way, ready for pairing with rice maybe some Asian greens.

Make the masterstock the nighr before and it’s set and forget.

And the ginger and spring onion oil? So simple, so beautiful.

For a casual, Asian feast (is casual and feast mutually exclusive?), this is a must.

Our boys kept taking leftovers from the fridge all the next day, a sure sign you’ve nailed it.

Ingredients

Faster Master (Stock) – 2 litres

1 1/2 ltrs quality white chicken stock
250ml dark soy sauce (or substitute light soy sauce if you prefer)
250ml Shaoxing wine
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled but bruised
1 small brown onion, peeled and roughly chopped
5 thick slices, ginger, unpeeled
1 cinnamon quill
3 star anise
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1/2 c caster sugar

Chicken

2 ltrs Faster Master
2 chicken breasts, skinless
A handful of coriander to serve
Cooked rice to serve
Steamed greens to serve

Ginger & Spring Onion Oil

2 tbsp grated ginger
4 medium spring onions, white and light green parts, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp sea salt
3 tbsp peanut oil

Method

Faster Master (Stock)

  1. Place all the ingredients in a large saucepan and simmer for 30 minutes. Allow to cool, then strain out all the solids.
  2. When you use this liquid for poaching meat or fish, bring it to the boil for a minute or two after you have removed the meat or fish to kill bacteria, strain it, allow to cool, transfer to a freezer-proof container and freeze until you need to use it again.

Chicken and Ginger & Spring Onion Oil

  1. Bring the Faster Master to a simmer in a medium-sized saucepan. Remove from the heat, add the chicken breasts and cover tightly. Allow to stand for 10 minutes and test the internal temperature, and either continuing poaching (possibly over a low heat depending on where you are in cooking terms) or rest for 2 minutes.
  2. Pound the ginger, spring onion and salt in a heatproof mortar to a rough paste. Heat the oil in a pan over a high heat until smoking hot, then pour onto the mixture. Once the sizzling stops, mix the sauce and allow to stand until ready to serve.
  3. Slice the chicken, scatter with coriander and serve with the ginger and spring onion oil, rice and greens.

A Soulful Sunday by Slyvia Woods

.Reading time 4 minutes.

Serves: 6

When Nat and I were last in New York, we visited the famous Sylvia’s Restaurant in Harlem. An absolute institution serving soul food since 1963.

Obama at Sylvias.

We had an amazing meal of shrimp, fried chicken and grits and walked away with the cookbook. A book we hadn’t cooked from until today.

We almost always cook to a theme and this menu of soul food was absolutely on-point and so much fun. We even found a playlist of banjo ballads!

The boys loved it; especially the beans which alongside fish or a steak would be an excellent, contemporary meal. Don’t let the ingredients, process or sheer simplicity of it throw you.

Add some hot sauce, some mayonnaise and of course, BBQ sauce and well, this is a meal that is just good for your soul.

The Absolute Best Southern Fried Chicken by Julia Pressley

I have slightly adjusted this recipe by using chicken tenderloins rather than jointing a whole bird. Just a bit easier and healthier.

Ingredients

1kg chicken tenderloins
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp paprika
1 c vegetable oil

Method

  1. Pat dry the chicken. In a small bowl, combine the salt, 1 tsp black pepper and the garlic powder. Sprinkle over the chicken and let stand for 20 minutes or even better, overnight in the refridgerator.
  2. Place the flour, remaining 1/4 tsp black pepper and paprika into a heavy plastic bag. In batches, add the seasoned chicken and shake until each piece is covered with flour.
  3. In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat until it bubbles when a little flour is sprinkled in. Add the chicken pieces and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 7 minutes or until the chicken is browned on the bottom, flip and repeat. Remove from the skillet and drain on paper towels before serving.

String Beans with New Potatoes by Sylvia Woods

Ingredients

4 slices bacon
1/2 c chopped onion
250gm red potatoes cut into chunks
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 c boiling water
500gm string beans, ends trimmed

Method

  1. In a large skillet, cook the bacon until browned; remove from the skillet and crumble. Discard all but 2 tbsp of the bacon fat.
  2. Add the onion to the skillet and cook until softened. Stir in the potatoes, sugar, salt, pepper and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
  3. Add the strinf beans. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes longer or to desired doneness, stirring occasionally.

Golden Brown Macaroni and Cheese by Mattle Wilson

I’ve types up a few mac and cheese receipes and this one is equally as deserving a type. It isn’t deconstructed or containing truffle. It’s as bare bones as it gets and that’s why it’s so good.

Ingredients

500gm uncooked macaroni
4 tbsp butter
2 1/2 c grated mild Cheddar cheese, divided
2 large eggs
1/2 c milk
Paprika, for the top

Method

  1. Cook the macaroni until done, drain pour into a greased baking dish. Stir in the butter and 2 c of the Cheddar cheese.
  2. In a bowl, beat the eggs and then beat in the eggs. Add the mixture to the macaroni and stir through. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 c Cheddar cheese on top and dust with paprika. Bake, uncovered for 30 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the casserole is hot throughout.

Country chicken and cheese pie

.Reading time 4 minutes.

Serves: 4 – 6

This is a deliciously creamy and warming feel-good pie. It has a homemade short crust on the base and frozen puff on top. I really recommend you go that extra mile and make your own shortcrust, you won’t look back!

Ingredients

For the shortcrust
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp fine salt
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/2 c (117g) very cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes
2 to 4 tbsp iced water

For the filling
5 tbsp butter
3 chicken thigh fillets, small dice
1 brown onion, thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly diced
3 celery stalks, thinly diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c flour
2 c chicken stock
1 1/2 c milk
1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried parsley
1 c frozen peas
1 c grated cheese
2 sheets frozen puff pastry
1 egg

Method

  1. For the shortcrust pastry: Add about half the flour with the salt, and sugar to a food processor. Pulse 2 to 3 times until its mixed. (Note: you will add the remaining flour later.)
  2. Add the butter cubes and process until a dough begins to form, about 15 seconds and there is no uncoated flour.
  3. Scrape bowl and mix around the flour-butter mixture then add the remaining flour. Pulse 4 to 5 times until flour is evenly distributed. (Dough should be broken up and crumbly).
  4. Transfer to a bowl then add ice water — start with 2 tablespoons. Using a rubber spatula, press the dough into itself. The crumbs should begin to form larger clusters. If you pinch some of the dough and it holds together, it’s ready. If the dough falls apart, add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of water and continue to press until dough comes together.
  5. Work the dough to form a ball. Wrap the ball with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months (just thaw it overnight in the fridge before using it).
  6. For the filling: add 1 tbsp butter to a pan and cook the chicken thigh. Remove and set aside.
  7. Add onion, carrots, and celery cooking over medium heat for about 5 mins.
  8. Add garlic and cook for a further 2 mins. Remove all from pan and set aside with the cooked chicken.
  9. In the same pan melt the remaining 4 tbsp of butter then add the flour. Mix continuously with a whisk over medium heat for about 2 mins.
  10. Slowly add the chicken stock while whisking. If it’s looking clumpy you might need to get a hand mixer to make it smooth. Heat until mixture begins to thicken.
  11. Stir in the milk, salt, pepper, sherry, thyme, and parsley. Let simmer for 3-5 mins without letting it boil.
  12. Stir in the cooked chicken, peas and vegetable mixture and remove from heat.
  13. To assemble: Roll out the shortcrust into a large circle. Make sure the circle is larger than your pie dish and will reach up the sides.
  14. Add shortcrust to the dish and spoon in the filling. Sprinkle the cheese on top.
  15. Top with puff ensuring you seal/press the puff to the shortcrust. Brush with egg mixture.
  16. Cook for about 50mins at 180C.

Ajoy Joshi’s Murgh Hara Masala

.Reading time 3 minutes.

Serves: 4 – 6

Here we are yet again with an Ajoy Joshi recipe.

Trademark whisked yoghurt. The browned onions. Roasted cashews.

But then we add the herbs and chilli.

It takes a trademark Joshi dish in yet another direction and it is predictably wonderful.

As Nat put it, the onions give a depth, then flipped on its head by the fresh green chilli.

You taste the hint of cashew.

And the sum of the parts of just a beautifully warm and complex curry, as unique as every Ajoy Joshi curry is.

Incredibly clever.

I’ve only adjusted by adding one extra tbsp of double cream and using 1kg of chicken thigh instead of a whole chicken.

Ingredients

5 tbsp vetegable oil
3 brown onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp salt
1kg chicken thigh cut into 3cm pieces
1/2 c plain whole-milk yoghurt, whisked until smooth
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tbsp garlic, minced
Cinnamon stick, broken into small pieces
8 whole black peppercorns
4 green cardamom pods
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 fresh mild long green chillis, roughly chopped
Leaves from 1 bunch fresh coriander
Leaves from 1 bunch fresh mint
1 tbsp unsalted roasted cashew nuts
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
3 tbsp double cream
Steamed basmati rice to serve

Method

  1. In a frying pan, heat 2 tbsp oil over a medium low heat, add the onions and salt and cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are dark golden-brown. Transfer to a plate.
  2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine chicken, yoghurt, ginger and garlic and stir to coat the chicken evenly. Set aside.
  3. In a spice grinder, process the spices to a fine powder.
  4. In a food processor, combine chillies, coriander, mint, cashew nuts and fried onions and process until well combined.
  5. In a large, heavy saucepan, heat remaining 3 tbsp oil over a high heat and add the chicken and cook, turning occasionally until all moisture evaporates and chicken is lightly browned.
  6. Add the turmeric and 1/2 c hot water and stir until almost evaporated. The chicken should be cooked and tender by now.
  7. Add the ground spices, stirring until fragrant. Add the chilli mixture and cream, stirring through until well combined and heated through. Season and serve with steamed rice.
  8. An ale, riesling or pinot a must at this point. Trust me on this one.

Ajoy Joshi’s Rich Chicken Curry

.Reading time 2 minutes.

Serves: 4 – 6

I can’t tell if Ajoy Josh is having a laugh at our expense.

The techniques and ingredients he uses are not only different to other Indian recipes, each of this recipes are different.

The deep goldening of onions and the use of yoghurt marinades being two rare exceptions.

This recipe was true to Ajoy’s trick of throwing curve balls. The ground sesame seeds. The squeeze of lemon at the end.

And yet in true Ajoy style, it is absolutely beautiful.

Total luxury.

If Ajoy Joshi is having a laugh, good for him.

Note: I have slightly adjusted this recipe.

Ingredients

1kg chicken thighs, cut into 3cm pieces

1/2 c vegetable oil
3 onions, sliced
Juice of 1 – 2 lemons

For the marinade

2 c full-fat natural yoghurt
1 tsp crushed fresh ginger
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tbsp crushed green chillies
1/2 tsp ground tumeric
1 tbsp white sesame seeds, ground
50gm cashew nuts, roasted and ground
Salt

For the spice mix

1 tsp cassia buds*
2 green cardamom pods
4 cloves
1/2 tsp black cumin seeds

Method

  1. Put all the ingredients for the marinade in a large shallow dish and mix together. Season with salt. Add the chicken and turn to coat, then cover allow to marinate in the refridgerator for 1 – 2 hours.
  2. To make the spice mix, put all the spices in a spice grinder, small food processor or mortar and pestle and grind together. Set aside.
  3. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan over medium heat, add the sliced onions and saute until the onions turn golden brown. Add the marinated chicken and stir well. Cook for 30 – 45 minutes, or until the sauce has slightly thickened. Add the freshly crushed spices and sprinkle over the lemon juice.

* I substituted a cinnamon stick.