Braised Chicken in Coconut Curry

Braised Chicken in Coconut Curry

Our family does not observe the lunar new year but that’s no reason not to feel happy for those who do. A new year on any calendar brings hope for a happy, healthy, safe and meaningful year to come.

Everyone can relate to that!

So, in honor of the Year of the Tiger, here’s a dish inspired by my travels to Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia.

BRAISED CHICKEN IN COCONUT CURRY

•  One chicken, cut into 8 pieces (or use 4 large chicken breast halves or 4 whole legs)

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chili pepper

• 1-1/2 teaspoons chopped lemongrass

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 1 teaspoon curry powder

• 1-1/2 cups coconut milk (13-15 ounce can)

• salt to taste

• chopped chives or parsley for garnish

Wash and dry the chicken pieces. Heat the vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Cook the chicken a few pieces at a time, turning them occasionally, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside. Add the onion to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, chili pepper and lemongrass and cook, briefly, stirring constantly. Whisk the tomato paste, curry powder and coconut milk together until thoroughly blended. Pour the liquid into the pan. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Bring to a boil, cover the pan, lower the heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve garnished with a sprinkle of fresh chopped chives or parsley.

Makes 4 servings

Roasted Chicken Breast with Lemongrass and Ginger

Ever since Ed and I travelled to Vietnam and Cambodia several years ago, I have been trying to prepare some Vietnamese/Cambodian specialties.

I’ve cooked Pho many times (it’s one of my favorite soups) but mostly have made lots of recipes using lemongrass and fresh ginger, which are ubiquitous in Southeast Asian cuisine.

The combination of these two ingredients, (which are easy to find these days), is refreshing, vibrant, citrusy, and they give a real boost of flavor, especially to mild foods such as chicken. Just a few teaspoons of seasoning makes a plain old chicken dinner really easy and yet so interesting and definitely not plain old.

Roast Chicken Breast with Lemongrass and Ginger

• 2 whole chicken breasts (or use 4-6 whole legs)

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh lemongrass

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives (or green scallion tops)

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• sprinkle of cayenne pepper

• 1/4 cup white wine

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the chicken breasts in a roasting pan. Brush the chicken with the vegetable oil. Scatter the garlic, lemongrass, ginger and chives over the chicken and sprinkle with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Roast for 10 minutes. Lower the oven heat to 350 degrees. Roast for another 40-45 minutes or until cooked through (a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast will register 160 degrees), basting once or twice with the white wine. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Makes 4-6 servings

Korean Style Gochujang Chicken Wings

My husband doesn’t conform to the Hollywood version of the Father’s Day grill master. I do the cooking, including anything made on the outdoor BBQ grill.

He eats.

Fortunately, he eats whatever I serve and loves whatever I cook.

He does have favorites, of course: any kind of Chinese food is in first place. Followed by specialties of several other Asian cuisines such as Korean and Indian. He also loves Jewish deli and Texas Brisket.

So this weekend he’s getting these wings, Korean in origin, made with Gochujang sauce. If you keep a kosher kitchen, check out @koreankosher (Koko brand), which manufactures several kosher Korean ingredients, including a really delicious Gochujang sauce.

I usually bake these but they come out just fine on the grill also, so take your choice.

Korean Style gochujang chicken wings

• 3 pounds chicken wings

• 1/3 cup Gochujang sauce

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger

• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped

• 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 large scallion, chopped, for garnish

• white sesame seeds for garnish

Preheat an outdoor grill or oven broiler. Wash and dry the wings and separate the parts In a large bowl, combine the Gochujang, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame seed oil, ginger and garlic and mix the ingredients to blend them thoroughly. Set aside. Pour the vegetable oil over the wing parts and toss to coat all the pieces. Grill the wings, turning once, for about 8 minutes, or until lightly browned. Brush the wings with some of the sauce, and cook for about 12-15 minutes, brushing with more of the sauce, until the wings are crispy and fully cooked. Sprinkle with the scallion and white sesame seeds.

If you don’t have a grill: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Eliminate the vegetable oil. Place the wings in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Pour the sauce over the chicken and toss to coat the pieces evenly. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Turn the wings over and bake for another 15 minutes or until the wings are crispy.

Makes 6-8 servings

Chicken: Soup to Salad

Every year before Passover I think about new ways to eat the chicken from the chicken soup that I cook for my Seder. I make the soup several days ahead, strain the liquid and freeze it. 

The cooked vegetables and boiled chicken do make a good, plain, old-fashioned meal for dinner, but we don't always want that. So, with the vegetables? Best bet has always been veggie burgers.

The chicken? Salad. Made all sorts of ways.

Here's one way. Fortunately ataulfo (honey/champagne) mangoes are in season and they are easy to peel and cut for salad; they’re also not stringy like some mango varieties. Bonus: I put aside some of the dill I use to season my chicken soup and it is a lovely seasoning for chicken and mangoes.

Chicken and Mango Salad with Dill

• 2-1/2 to 3 cups diced cooked chicken

• 1 small (I used ataulfo) ripe mango, peeled and diced

• 2-3 teaspoons chopped fresh dill

• 3-5 tablespoons white wine vinegar

• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the chicken and mango dice in a bowl. Sprinkle the dill on top. Mix 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar with 2 tablespoons olive oil and pour over the chicken and fruit. Toss. Season with salt and pepper. If you prefer a moister salad, add more olive oil and/or white wine vinegar to taste. Or fold in a bit of mayonnaise. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 2-4 servings

Chinese Chicken with Peanuts (Kung Pao Gai Ding)

It just so happens that Chinese new year and my husband’s birthday (February 12) fall on the same day this year. And that’s grand because there is nothing he would like better than to have Chinese food for his birthday dinner.

Kung Pao Gai Ding — Chicken with Peanuts — is one of his favorites, so that’s what he’ll be getting.

CHICKEN WITH PEANUTS

sauce:

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon rice wine

• 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil

• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

• 2 teaspoons water

the chicken:

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

• 1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 4-6 dry red whole chili peppers

• 4 large scallions, chopped

• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger

• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts

Mix the soy sauce, rice wine, vinegar, kosher salt and sesame seed oil in a small bowl and set it aside. Mix the 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 2 teaspoons water in a small bowl and set it aside.

Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and place them in a bowl. Add the 1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch and mix thoroughly to coat all the chicken pieces. Set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a wok or stirfry pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and stirfry for 2-3 minutes or until all the pieces are white. Dish out the chicken and set the pieces aside. Heat the remaining tablespoon vegetable oil in the wok. Add the chili peppers, scallion, ginger and stirfry briefly. Add the chicken and stirfry for about a minute, distributing the ingredients evenly. Stir the sauce and pour it into the pan. Stirfry for about a minute. Add the peanuts and mix them in evenly. Stir the cornstarch mixture and pour it into the pan. Stirfry until the sauce has thickened. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

Lemon Oregano Roasted Chicken

I bought a ton of lemons recently for an article I wrote on Preserved Lemons for the Jewish Week Food&Wine.

So I’ve been cooking lots of recipes that use lemons.

This is one of the best, easiest and least complicated: Roasted Lemon-Oregano Chicken. I used chicken breast (though you could make it with any chicken parts). The fragrance is mesmerizing. It’s tasty without needing too many ingredients. You don’t need to use salt because the lemon juice adds the right amount of tang. It’s filling but not heavy.

I serve this with plain cooked rice or mashed or baked potatoes because the roasting juices are a perfect “gravy,” no other moisturizing fat needed.

Roasted Lemon-Oregano Chicken

• 1 large onion, sliced

• 1 lemon, sliced

• 2 whole bone-in chicken breasts, each about 1-1/2 pounds (or 4 whole chicken legs)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 6 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1/4 cup white wine

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the onion and lemon slices in a roasting pan. Wash and dry the chicken breasts and place them on top of the onion/lemon slices. Brush the chicken with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with the oregano and pepper to taste. Roast for 10 minutes. Combine the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, the lemon juice, white wine and garlic and pour over the chicken. Lower the oven heat to 350 degrees. Roast for another 25-30 minutes, basting occasionally, or until cooked through (a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast will register 160 degrees). Let rest for 15 minutes before carving.

 Makes 4-6 servings

Apricot-Orange Sticky Wings

Chicken wings have been among my favorite things to eat for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid, my mother always made sure my brothers and I got them because, she said, wings were the “best part” and she wanted us to have the best part.

So of course I am going to contribute some to the Superbowl party I’m invited to.

I have so many recipes for chicken wings! But these are the ones for the occasion:

Apricot-Orange Sticky Wings

• 2 pounds chicken wing pieces

• 1/2 cup apricot preserves

• 3 tablespoons orange juice

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger

• 1-1/2 teaspoons grated fresh orange peel

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1 teaspoon Sriracha

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rinse and dry the wing parts. In a large bowl, combine the preserves, orange juice, soy sauce, ginger, orange peel, garlic and Sriracha and mix to blend the ingredients. Add the wing pieces and toss to coat them evenly. Place the wings on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet. Spoon any remaining sauce over the wings. Bake for 30-35 minutes, turning 2-3 times, or until the wings are golden brown and well glazed.

Makes 6 servings

Chicken Egg Rolls

The first time I ever cooked a Chinese egg roll I fried the wrapper first and got it nice and crispy. Except that —— when I went to fill it and roll it — um —

And of course, then I realized that it’s a good idea to read the recipe all the way through before you begin to cook.

I never made that particular mistake again.

But I’ve made egg rolls many times. Most of the time I use a vegetables-only filling, but I had a boneless chicken breast on hand and so — this version. Quite delicious, a nice treat for Chinese New Year or whenever.

Chicken Egg Rolls

• 1 whole boneless chicken breast

• 6 scallions, shredded

• 1 cup shredded cabbage

• 1/2 cup shredded bamboo shoot

• 1 cup bean sprouts, rinsed and drained

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 8 egg roll skins

• one egg, beaten

• vegetable oil for deep fat frying

Shred the chicken and set aside. Place the scallions, cabbage, bamboo shoots and bean sprouts in a bowl and toss the ingredients to distribute them evenly. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or stirfry pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and stirfry for 1-2 minutes or until all traces of pink have disappeared. Add the vegetables and stir fry for 2 minutes,. Add the soy sauce and salt, mix the ingredients thoroughly and spoon into a colander set over a bowl to drain and cool.

Place some filling in the center of each egg roll skin. Roll one corner over the filling. Cover with two sides, envelope style. Roll until almost the end. Place some beaten egg on the edge and finish rolling, to seal the egg roll.

Heat about 2-inches of vegetable oil in a large, deep pan over high heat, until the oil is hot enough to make a crumb of bread sizzle. Deep fry the egg rolls 2 or 3 at a time, tossing them as they cook, for about one minute or until lightly tan. Lift them out of the pan with a wire basket or large slotted spoon to cool off for about 30 seconds. Return the rolls to the pan and cook for another 1-2 minutes or so until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Makes 8

Pomegranate Chicken Wings

I know that Labor Day is not the end of grilling season, but somehow it's a reminder that so much in our lives is about to change. In the month or so ahead, leaves turn to red and gold. School begins. There's a vague chill in the air at night. The sun sets earlier and nighttime comes sooner.

I also realize that many people continue to grill outdoors throughout the year.

I'm not one of them. If it's below 45 I don't feel like slaving over a hot grill in the cold night air.

So, knowing how way leads on to way, I am making the most of the grilltime that's left.

These wings will be on my menu soon, before I close up shop for the winter.

Fyi, you can use the glaze for other chicken parts and bake the pieces n the oven or broil them in an oven broiler. It’s also fine to use for basting a whole roasting chicken.

 

Pomegranate Wings

• 2 pounds chicken wings

• olive oil (about one tablespoon)

• 1/2 cup pomegranate jelly

• 2 tablespoons orange juice

• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 2 scallions, chopped

• pinch or two cayenne pepper

• salt to taste

Preheat an outdoor grill or oven broiler. Wash and dry the wings and cut them into separate pieces. Brush with olive oil and grill, turning once, for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. While the wings are cooking, mix the pomegranate jelly, orange juice, cider vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, scallions cayenne pepper and salt to taste until well blended. Brush this glaze on the wings and cook for another 10-12 minutes, turning the wings occasionally and brushing with remaining glaze, until crispy and fully cooked.

Makes about 24

Hot and Fruity Barbecue Chicken

Around this time of year, when BBQ season is in full gear (at least where I live), you might be in need of a new barbecue sauce.

It gets a little boring to flavor chicken and fish and whatever else you put on the grill the same way over and over.

Besides, with so much fresh, local fruit available, it’s the perfect time for a peach/nectarine/plum based sauce.

So, here one is. It’s a little jazzed up with chili pepper, but is not overly spicy.

Hot and Fruity Barbecue Sauce

• 4-5 ripe peaches or nectarines, peeled

• 2-4 ripe plums

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 large onion, finely chopped

• 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

• 1 serrano pepper (or other small chili pepper), deseeded and chopped

• 1-1/4 cups ketchup

• 1/3 cup orange or other fruit juice

• 1/4 cup cider vinegar

• 1/4 cup honey

Remove the pit from the peaches, chop the flesh and place it in a bowl. Cut the plums in half, remove the pit and scoop out the flesh. Add it to the peaches. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for one minute. Add the garlic and chili pepper and cook for another minute. Add the fruit, ketchup, juice, cider vinegar and honey. Stir to blend the ingredients thoroughly. Cook over low-medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until thickened. Let cool. Puree in a food processor. Taste for seasoning and add salt to taste.

Makes about one quart