Category: 2022 World Cuisine Tour (Chicken)

2022 Is the year of the chicken. We are planning to travel the world by making the best chicken recipes from around the world. We will use a country randomizer to help us choose a new location.

2022 World Cuisine Tour (Chicken) 3-12-22

On By Heather HoustonIn 2022 World Cuisine Tour (Chicken)Leave a comment

March 12th, 2022: Maldivian Chicken Curry (Maldives)

“The country randomizer selected Maldives. Maldivian Chicken Curry is on the menu…I had to first figure out exactly where the Maldives are….then I realized, “oh, it’s close to Sri Lanka!”

So this should be interesting.

The recipe is pretty straight forward, and the curry quite mild. You start off with an onion chopped or sliced and sauté it in a little vegetable oil gently for about 10-minutes, add a pile of finely chopped garlic and ginger and two hot green peppers (we used Soriano and jalapeño). When that has cooked down you add the spices. Mild chili powder, mild curry powder, turmeric, cumin, curry leaves (we used bay leaves), and cinnamon sticks. For a little more heat I added a little peri peri, cayenne pepper and some Sri Lanka curry powder (which is black pepper based). All that cooks down then you add a little tomato purée and water (I added chicken stock). When that’s simmering, in goes the skinless chicken thighs bone in, and it cooks covered for 45 minutes. Next you add a can of coconut milk, bring it to a boil and then serve it over rice dressed with some coconut.

What truly satisfying curry. Really savory and mild with just a little heat. Not sure how hot it was, we put some yogurt on the plate to cool it down.

Top marks for this one!”

Chef Chasan Recipe Notes
Flag of Maldives
Map of Maldives

Maldivian Chicken Curry

  • Prep Time: 20-minutes
  • Total Time: 1-hour 25-minutes
  • Serves: 6

Maldivian Chicken Curry Ingredients:

  • 3 T. vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 10 cardamom pods, split
  • 6-8 cloves
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 15g ginger, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 large green chilli (1 serrano & 1 jalapeno), sliced
  • 10 fresh or dried curry leaves or bay leaves
  • 2 tsp. mild chilli powder
  • 2 T. mild curry powder & some Sri Lanka Curry Powder
  • 2 tsp. turmeric
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 3 T. tomato purée
  • 6 chicken thighs, skin removed
  • 1 x 400-ml. tin coconut milk
  • peri peri, to taste
  • cayenne pepper, to taste
  • a handful coconut flakes, toasted, to serve

Maldivian Chicken Curry Directions:

  1. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and cook gently for 10-minutes. Put the cardamom and cloves on a small square of muslin and tie with string to make a pouch.
  2. Add the garlic, ginger, chilli and curry leaves to the onions, and cook for a few minutes, stirring.
  3. Add the chilli powder, curry powder, turmeric, cumin and cinnamon sticks; stir for 2-3 minutes until the mixture becomes fragrant.
  4. Add the tomato purée and 1 tsp. of salt, cook for a few minutes, then stir in 500-ml. water and the spice pouch. Bring to a simmer.
  5. Add the chicken, bring back to simmering point, cover and leave to simmer gently for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
  6. Add the coconut milk; bring back to a simmer. Season, sprinkle with coconut flakes and serve with rice.

2022 World Cuisine Tour (Chicken) 3-5-22

On By Heather HoustonIn 2022 World Cuisine Tour (Chicken)Leave a comment

March 5th, 2022: Galinhada (Brazil)

“We get to visit Brazil today in our World Tour of Chicken! Galinhada is in the menu!! Or more correctly Franco com Aroz!

This is a super yummy dish!

We added extra garlic, used shallots in the pot, added peri peri to the marinade and used 4 chorizo sausages. It turned out great – very tasty, one that will be on our chicken rotation.”

Chef Chasan Recipe Notes
Flag of Brazil
Map of Brazil

Galinhada

  • Prep Time: 15-minutes
  • Marinade: 2-hours
  • Cook Time: 1-hour
  • Total Time: 3-hours 15-minutes
  • Serves: 6

Marinade Ingredients:

  • 1 onion, peeled
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled
  • ½ c. fresh parsley
  • 1 T. ground turmeric
  • 1 T. apple cider vinegar
  • ½ c. olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Marinade Directions:

  1. In a food processor, combine all the marinade ingredients and process until smooth.
  2. In a bowl, combine the chicken and marinade, tossing so every piece is thoroughly coated. Cover with plastic or foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight).

Galinhada Ingredients:

  • 1-½ # skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 tsp. olive oil
  • 4 (aprox. 8 ounces) chorizo sausages, sliced
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 large carrot, finely diced
  • ½ c. white wine
  • 2-½ c. chicken broth
  • 1 c. white long-grain rice, rinsed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 c. chopped parsley

Galinhada Directions:

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch Oven, over medium heat. Brown the sausage on both sides, about 5-minutes. Then, remove with a slotted spoon into a plate and reserve.
  2. Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving the excess marinade for later. Add the chicken to the pot, sautéing until lightly browned on all sides, about 10-minutes. Remove from the pot and reserve.
  3. Add more oil if needed, then sauté the onion and carrot until they begin to caramelize slightly, about 5-minutes.
  4. Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  5. Return the chicken and sausage to the pot, and pour in the chicken broth. Cover and reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer for 15-minutes.
  6. Add the rice, tomatoes, bay leaves, reserved marinade and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Cover and continue cooking for another 15-minutes, or until the rice is cooked. There will still be some liquid in the pot, that is normal.
  7. Turn the heat off and let the Galinhada rest, covered, for 10-minutes.
  8. Stir in the fresh parsley and serve!

2022 World Cuisine Tour (Chicken) 2-26-22

On By Heather HoustonIn 2022 World Cuisine Tour (Chicken)Leave a comment

February 26th, 2022: Sri Lanka Chicken Curry (Sri Lanka)

“Todays World Tour of Chicken dishes takes us to Sri Lanka where their version of spicy chicken curry seems to be the national dish! Exciting!

The curry is hot. The chicken falls off the bone. The sauce thickened and the flavors intensified. Definitely needed a dollop of sour cream to cut the heat. But even so, absolutely delicious!”

Chef Chasan Recipe Notes
Flag of Sri Lanka
Map of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Roasted Curry Powder

  • Prep Time: 20-minutes
  • Cook Time: 5-minutes
  • Total Time: 25-minutes
  • Serves: 4

Sri Lanka Roasted Curry Powder Ingredients:

  • 4 T. coriander seeds
  • 3 T. cumin seeds
  • 2 T. black peppercorns
  • 2 T. basmati rice
  • 1 T. black mustard seeds
  • 3 tsp. whole cloves, large about 15 cloves
  • 2 tsp. scant, cardamom seeds from green cardamom seeds from the pods
  • 1 tsp. fennel seeds

Sri Lanka Roasted Curry Powder Directions:

  1. Place the rice on a dry non stick pan. Heat over medium heat until the rice starts to turn light brown.
  2. Add the rest of the spices and pan roast for a further 3 – 5 minutes until the spices start to brown, toast and become aromatic.
  3. Keep moving the pan to prevent the spices from burning. Also adjust the cook times according to your stove and pan, to avoid burning the spices. Or your curry powder will be bitter.
  4. Remove from the heat and let the spices cool down.
  5. Once the spices cool down – use a spice grinder (or a mortar and pestle) to grind the spice mix into a powder in batches and mix well. Store in an air tight container.
  6. Use as needed.

Sri Lanka Chicken Curry Ingredients:

  • 2-3 T. coconut oil
  • 1/2 onion yellow or red, diced or sliced.
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 inch ginger minced
  • 6 – 7 curry leaves or 2 bay leaves
  • 2.5 T. roasted Sri Lankan curry powder
  • 1 cinnamon stick or 1 small regular cinnamon stick
  • 1/2 tsp. salt plus more to taste
  • 1 tsp. cayenne pepper or chili powder (less if you like it less spicy.)
  • 1 T. paprika not smoked or sweet paprika
  • 8 chicken thighs
  • 2 serrano peppers (or regular green chili) cut length-wise, with or without seeds
  • 3 roma tomatoes cut into cubes (or 2 medium-sized regular tomatoes)
  • 2 tsp. brown sugar
  • 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 1 c. coconut milk
  • 1/2 c. water

Directions:

  1. Add the coconut oil in to a large saucepan and heat the oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger to the heated oil and cook until softened.
  2. Add curry powder, chili powder/cayenne pepper, paprika, cinnamon, curry leaves and mix to combine. Cook for a few minutes until you start to smell the spices.
  3. Add the chicken, serrano peppers/green chili peppers, salt, 3 roma tomatoes, 1 tsp sugar, and mix to coat. Cook for 10-minutes with the lid off, on medium high heat. Stir frequently to make sure the chicken or the spices don’t burn.
  4. Add coconut milk, water, vinegar, and bring the curry to a boil. If you want less gravy, add less liquid.
  5. Lower the heat, and let it simmer with the lid closed, for 15 – 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt to taste. The chicken should be completely cooked by this point. Taste the curry and season to taste if needed. You can add the rest of the sugar or more salt, or vinegar to your taste. Remember that curries can be adjusted to your taste!
  6. If the chicken curry gravy is too thin, or there’s too much of it, uncover and simmer the curry for a further 10-minutes or longer. This step is optional, but it will allow the water to evaporate and the gravy to thicken.
  7. Turn off the heat and let the chicken cool down slightly. Serve with rice or roti. You may add a side of yogurt to add as needed if the curry is too hot.

2022 World Cuisine Tour (Chicken) 2-19-22

On By Heather HoustonIn 2022 World Cuisine Tour (Chicken)Leave a comment

February 19th, 2022: Martinique Coconut Chicken Curry (Martinique)

“Our world chicken tour took us to the Caribbean island of Martinique for tonight’s meal: Martinique Coconut Chicken Curry meal. It’s an interesting meal because I’m used to Indian and Korean curries but I’m excited to see how it turns out!

Pre-dinner drink to enjoy while cooking a Malibu Bay Breeze, basically equal parts rum, pineapple and cranberry juice. Yummy. We drank those then listened to Caribbean beach music while we cooked.

The most interesting part of the meal was the curry paste. A mortar and pestle were used to turn mustard seed, fresh garlic, coriander, sea salt and a habanero pepper (no scotch bonnet to be found) into a paste.

The chicken was browned in a little oil, and then onion, eggplant, butternut squash and potato were browned in the same pot. The curry paste was added, Eventually you add the chicken back along with coconut milk, tamarind paste, chicken stock and bay leaves.

It simmers for almost 40-minutes covered, then I took the chicken out, and cooked the sauce down to thicken it and concentrate flavor.

Then I added back the chicken along with fresh mango and papaya, lime juice and rum. You let the fruit warm up and the alcohol cook off.

We served it over coconut rice with some toasted dried coconut as a garnish.

It was a yummy meal filled with umami and flavor. And the curry was mild but quite good. I really enjoyed this.

I’m going to purée the sauce and run it through a sieve to try a variation.”

Chef Chasan Recipe Notes
Flag of Martinique
Map of Martinique
  • Prep Time: 25-minutes
  • Total Time: 1-hour 15-minutes
  • Serves: 6

Spice Mix

Ingredients:

  • 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 to 1 hot red chile, preferably Scotch Bonnet, seeded (wear gloves)
  • 1 tsp. sea salt flakes
  • 1 tsp. ground coriander
  • 1 tsp. yellow mustard seeds
  • 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric

Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

  • 4 T. sunflower or groundnut oil (peanut)
  • 5 chicken pieces, preferably thighs
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 18 oz. butternut squash, peeled and diced into 2-inch cubes
  • 2 onions, coarsely chopped
  • 1 eggplant, diced into 1 1/2-inch cubes
  • 2 to 3 large white potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
  • 3 small bay leaves
  • 1-3/4 c. coconut milk
  • 1-1/4 c. chicken bone stock
  • 1 T. tamarind paste
  • 1 large ripe mango, peeled and chopped into 2-inch chunks
  • 1 large ripe papaya, peeled and sliced
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1 1/2 T. rum or coconut rum (Malibu)

Directions:

  1. Using a mortar and pestle, combine the garlic, chile, salt, coriander, mustard seeds, and turmeric, and grind into a paste.
  2. Heat 2 T. of the oil in a large ovenproof casserole or heavy-bottomed saucepan. Season the chicken with salt, and black pepper, and brown the pieces on all sides. Remove the chicken from the pan, and set aside. Add the remaining oil, and cook the squash, onions, eggplants, and potatoes.
  3. Once the vegetables begin to soften and brown, sprinkle in the spice mix, and cook, stirring continuously, for 4-minutes to release the fragrance of the spices. Return the chicken to the casserole dish, and add the bay leaves, coconut milk, chicken stock, and tamarind paste.
  4. Bring the ingredients to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, and cover. Cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 40-minutes. About 5-minutes before serving, stir in the mango, papaya, lime juice, and rum, if using. Stir the mixture to incorporate, then cover, and cook until the fruit is hot. Adjust the salt, and pepper, if necessary, and serve with some boiled rice.

2022 World Cuisine Tour (Chicken) 2-12-22

On By Heather HoustonIn 2022 World Cuisine Tour (Chicken)Leave a comment

February 12th, 2022: Tarteletter med høns i asparges (Danish Chicken and Asparagus Tartlets) & Agurkesalat (Danish Cucumber Salad) (Denmark)

“Our World Chicken Dish tour continues tonight in Denmark. What do people who live near the Arctic Circle do with chicken?

Turns out it’s Tarteletter and Agurkesalat!

Basically a chicken and asparagus open pie, and a cucumber and onion salad. One thing I’m present to is that they don’t use spice in Denmark! So we added some white pepper and peri peri to make it edible.

We used muffin tins to make the tarts with puff pastry. I pre-cooked them to give them a chance to be crisp.

The chicken was par-boiled in chicken stock before being cut up into bite size chunks.

We used canned asparagus given the time of year. The recipe called for white asparagus but we could only find green.

The sauce was made with butter, flour, milk and a little of the chicken stock. The sauce was seasoned with salt and black pepper.

The pies were filled with chicken, asparagus, and sauce, then chopped with parsley and put in the 350-degree oven till the crust browned, about 30-minutes.

The salad was a cucumber and sweet onion salad. It was marinated in a vinegar, sugar and salt bath in the fridge for about an hour.

A comfort food sort of meal. Something I would expect north of the Arctic Circle!”

Chef Chasan Recipe Notes
Flag of Denmark
Map of Denmark

Tarteletter med høns i asparges (Danish Chicken and Asparagus Tartlets)

  • Prep Time: 40-minutes
  • Cook Time: 10-minutes
  • Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 3 boned, skinned chicken thighs
  • 6 c. water
  • 3/4 c. chicken bone stock
  • 3/4 c. milk
  • 5.5 T. butter
  • 4 T. flour
  • salt & black pepper, to taste
  • 2 tsp. white pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. peri peri
  • 14 oz. canned green asparagus or fresh asparagus; preferably white asparagus
  • frozen puff pastry for 6 tartlets (Used large muffin tin)
  • parsley, chopped for garnish

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees
  2. Boil the water and add the chicken bone stock.
  3. Add the chicken meat and cook for 20-minutes.
  4. Take out the chicken and cut into smaller pieces, preferably in small squares.
  5. Save the water from the cooked chicken.
  6. If using fresh asparagus, cook it until tender and cut into smaller pieces.
  7. Grab a saucepan and add butter and flour stirring until the butter has melted.
  8. Add milk and some water from the cooked chicken into the sauce to thin sauce slightly.
  9. Add salt, black pepper, peri peri and white pepper to the sauce and let simmer for a few minutes.
  10. Add the asparagus and chicken to the sauce and make sure everything is heated through.
  11. Fill 6 muffin tins with puff pastry and bake for 10-minutes to pre-bake crusts for crispness.
  12. Now it’s time to fill the tartlets.
  13. Bake tartlets for 40-minutes or until the shell was crisp and golden brown.
  14. When finished, chop some fresh parsley and garnish on top of the tartlets.

Agurkesalat (Danish Cucumber Salad)

  • Prep Time: 1-hour 25-minutes
  • Serves: 6

Ingredients:

  • 1 English cucumber
  • salt, to taste
  • 1 c. water
  • 1 c. white vinegar
  • 4 T. sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper
  • sweet onion; thinly sliced

Directions:

  • Wash and peel cucumber. Cut cucumber into very thin slices and place in medium bowl, salt lightly, and let stand for 15 minutes.
  • Pour off all liquid from cucumber. In a small bowl mix together the water, vinegar, sugar and pepper. Thinly sliced sweet onions can be placed in the salad also according to taste and this is optional. Pour mixture over the cucumbers and place in the refrigerator for one hour or until chilled. Drain off liquid again or serve with a slotted spoon.

2022 World Cuisine Tour (Chicken) 2-5-22

On By Heather HoustonIn 2022 World Cuisine Tour (Chicken)Leave a comment

February 5th, 2022: Herb & Miso Chicken With Creamy Polenta (New Zealand)

“Next on our exploration of chicken dishes the world over, the randomizer selected New Zealand so we will be making Herb & Miso Chicken With Creamy Polenta which we found on a New Zealand chicken dish list.

The randomizer choosing New Zealand had me underwhelmed. The dishes were largely Western with a few thst had some Eastern influence. We selected this one because it promised a blend of East and West.

ou start by crusting the chicken with a paste made from miso, chives and rosemary salt and pepper. The chicken is surrounded by a quartered onion, a bulb of garlic, and sliced lemons. Chicken stock and white wine finish the prep. It bakes in the 200c oven for almost an hour before being covered. For the last 10 minutes or so.

To make the polenta, I buzzed the corn meal in a blender and passed it through a fine sieve and made it with chicken stock, a little bacon fat, a little butter and Parmesan cheese.

The chicken is served on the polenta with some onion and garlic, and finished with chopped chives.

The meal was lovely, we both finished every bite, although the flavors were very mild. It reminded me of the subtlety of Japanese cooking.

I think that it could be improved if the miso paste was in the sauce and if the sauce would be blitzed and reduced. Then I think the flavors would meld better and be more intense. We’ll try that next time.”

Chef Chasan Recipe Notes
Flag of New Zealand
Map of New Zealand
  • Cook Time: 1-hour
  • Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 1/4 c. miso paste
  • 2 T. rosemary, chopped
  • 1 T. chives, chopped
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 onion, peeled and cut in quarters
  • 1 bulb garlic, halved
  • 2 lemons, cut into wedges
  • 1 c. chicken bone stock
  • 1 c. white wine
  • 200 g. polenta
  • 2 T. butter
  • 1/2 c. grated parmesdan
  • Garnish: 1 T. chives, chopped

Directions:

  1. Preheat and oven to 180C/356F.
  2. Wash and dry the chicken. Place it on a lined roasting dish of a size that will have the chicken surrounded by the juices. In a small bowl mix the miso, rosemary and chives. Smooth over the chicken skin. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Around the chicken place the onion, garlic, lemon, stock and wine. Place into the oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour until the juices run clear. Cover if the chicken is getting too brown. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes.
  4. Cook the polenta according to the packet instruction. To this add the butter and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Place the hot polenta on a serving dish. Using two forks pull the chicken apart and place onto the polenta along with the juices, onion, garlic and lemon wedges.

2022 World Cuisine Tour (Chicken) 1-30-22

On By Heather HoustonIn 2022 World Cuisine Tour (Chicken)Leave a comment

January 30th, 2022: Mussakhan (Roast Chicken With Sumac and Red Onions) (Jordan)

“This is a really great dish! The flavors are unusual, sweet, savory, fragrant, floral, citrusy and just yummy with the parsley and pine nuts offering a lovely texture and flavor to the dish! Highly recommended. It’s simple, easy to make and yummy!”

Chef Chasan Recipe Notes
Flag of Jordan
Map of Jordan
  • Prep Time: 1-3 hours prep and marinating
  • Cook Time: 1-hour
  • Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  • 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 1 large lemon, juiced (about 4 tablespoons)
  • 4 T. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
  • 1 ½ T. sumac, plus more for serving
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • ½ tsp. ground cumin
  • ½ tsp. ground allspice
  • ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
  •  Sea salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 large red onion (about 1 pound), halved and thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
  • parsley, chopped
  •  Naan bread, for serving

Directions:

  1. Slash the flesh of each piece of chicken diagonally a few times, around 3/4 inch apart, and then place the meat in a large bowl or plastic container. Add the lemon juice; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 1/2 tablespoons sumac; the garlic, cumin, allspice and cinnamon; and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Rub the mixture into the meat. Add the red onion and toss to coat. Cover and transfer to the refrigerator to marinate, 1 to 3 hours.
  2. When you are ready to cook the chicken, heat the oven to 400-degrees. Transfer the meat, onion slices and any juices to a baking sheet and roast until the juices run clear when the chicken pieces are pierced at their thickest part, about 40 minutes. Once the chicken is cooked finish under the broiler. Then cover the baking sheet tightly in foil and set aside while you prepare the toppings.
  3. In a small skillet, cook the pine nuts in the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over low heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 2 minutes, then transfer to a paper towel to drain.
  4. To serve, heat the naan bread in the oven until toasted and warmed and transfer to a platter. Arrange the chicken and red onion on top. Finish with a smattering of pine nuts, sumac and chopped parsley. Drizzle any remaining roasting juices so they soak into the bread, then drizzle with a little more olive oil.

2022 World Cuisine Tour (Chicken) 1-22-22

On By Heather HoustonIn 2022 World Cuisine Tour (Chicken)Leave a comment

January 22nd, 2022: Singapore Chicken (Republic of Singapore)

“The flavor is amazing mostly due to making homemade kekap mantis sauce. This sauce is made up of soy sauce, molasses, oyster sauce and brown sugar all of which give the chicken it’s lovely color. The rest of the flavor comes from the shallots, ginger, garlic, red pepper, mint leaves and lemon juice. It’s a super easy dish to cook in the wok. 5 stars!”

Chef Chasan Recipe Notes
Flag of the Republic of Singapore
Map of Morocco
  • Prep Time: TBD
  • Cook Time: TBD
  • Serves: 4

Kecap Manis Sauce:

  • 1 c. dark soy sauce
  • 1/4 c. molasses
  • 1/3 c. brown sugar

Directions (Kecap Manis Sauce)

  1. Place all ingredients in a small pot.
  2. Heat until sugar dissolves.
  3. Store extra in an airtight jar.

Ingredients:

  • 2 T. oil
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 8 boneless chicken thighs, cut into thirds
  • 1 red chili, sliced
  • 2 T. brown sugar
  • 1/3 c. kecap manis sauce
  • 1/2 c. water
  • 2 T. lemon juice
  • 1/2 c. mint leaves

Directions (Main):

  1. Heat the oil in a wok until hot. Add the onions and stir for 1-minute or until they are slightly browned. Add chicken and chili and stir-fry for a further 2-minutes until the chicken starts to brown.
  2. Add the sugar and stir through for 30-seconds, then add the kecap manis sauce and water and continue to cook for 5-8 minutes until chicken is cooked and the sauce starts to thicken.
  3. Stir in the lemon juice and mint.
  4. Serve with steamed coconut rice and a steamed snow peas.

2022 World Cuisine Tour (Chicken) 1-15-22

On By Heather HoustonIn 2022 World Cuisine Tour (Chicken)Leave a comment

January 15th, 2022: Moroccan Chicken (Morocco)

“I was wanting a chicken and rice dish, but I wanted to explore a new set of flavors. I have always heard about Moroccan flavors, so we went with a simple dish. The bone in chicken thighs were prepped with sea salt and black pepper (I added a little dusting of peri peri because that’s my jam). The sauce prep was surprising. It included chicken stock (I use bone stock), paprika, cumin, fresh ginger root, turmeric, cinnamon and the zest of a lemon. Once the chicken skins were browned in the rosemary infused olive oil I had left over, they are kept in the warm oven. An onion was caramelized, I added a finely chopped garlic and sautéed together till the onion was soft and opaque. The sauce was added and the pan deglazed before adding the chicken back. The chicken was then returned to the pan, covered in sauce, and set to bake in a hot oven 30-minutes. I had made Jasmine rice to serve it on. The chicken was finished on the plate with lemon juice, pimento stuffed olives and fresh parsley. It was absolutely delicious. The amount of spices in the recipe surprises a me, but we both cleaned our plates.”

Chef Chasan Recipe Notes
Flag of Morocco
Map of Morocco
  • Prep Time: 10-minutes
  • Cook Time: 70-minutes
  • Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  • 8 bone-in chicken thighs
  • kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 ½ c. chicken bone broth
  • 3 T. Indian paprika
  • 3 T. ground cumin
  • 3 tsp. minced fresh ginger root
  • 3 tsp. ground turmeric
  • 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • zest of a lemon
  • 2 lemons juiced
  • 1 T. canola oil, or to taste
  • 1 T. rosemary infused olive oil
  • ½ white onion, chopped 
  • 1 c. pimento-stuffed green olives; sliced in half
  • 2 T. chopped fresh parsley
  • parsley for rice, personal preference on measure

Directions:

  1. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Let come to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  3. Combine chicken broth, paprika, cumin, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, and 2 tsp. lemon zest in a bowl.
  4. Heat oils in a cast iron skillet until they begin to smoke. Add chicken thighs, skin-side down, and cook for 4-minutes. Flip thighs and continue cooking until skin is crispy, about 4-minutes more. Transfer to a plate. Sauté onion in the skillet until softened, 3-5 minutes. Pour chicken broth mixture carefully over onion; scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the skillet.
  5. Return chicken thighs to the skillet. Spoon some of the liquid over the thighs.
  6. Transfer skillet to the preheated oven; bake until chicken thighs are no longer pink in the center, 25-30 minutes.
  7. Add olives to the skillet. Drizzle lemon juice over the thighs and garnish the whole dish with parsley.
  8. Serve with rice tossed with parsley.

2022 World Cuisine Tour (Chicken) 1-11-22

On By Heather HoustonIn 2022 World Cuisine Tour (Chicken)Leave a comment

January 11th, 2022: Singapore Chicken (Delhi, India)

“There is something magical that happens when you make a great curry. The flavors all come together and each mouthful leaves you swearing, in a cacophony of aromas and flavors. Just consider how many wonderful flavors are present. The chicken thigh meat was cut into bite size chucks, then marinated in plain yogurt, minced garlic, garam masala, turmeric, ground cumin, chili powder and salt overnight. The chicken was browned in a little olive oil before being set aside and kept warm. The curry sauce was made with onions, garlic, ginger, ground cumin, garam masala, ground coriander, crushed tomatoes, red chili powder, peri peri and salt. It was then put in a blender to puree. Once smooth, add heavy cream and dried fenugreek leaves. The flavors all came together as it simmered and it was served on Jasmine rice with ice cold beer. Heaven!”

Chef Chasan Recipe Notes
Flag of India
Map of India
  • Prep Time: 15-minutes
  • Cook Time: 30-minutes
  • Serves: 5-6

Chicken Marinade:

  • 8 boneless and skinless chicken thighs; cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/2 c. plain yogurt
  • 1 1/2 T. minced garlic
  • 1 T. minced ginger (or finely grated)
  • 2 tsp. garam masala
  • 1 tsp. turmeric
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. red chili powder
  • 1 tsp. of salt

Sauce:

  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 2 T. clarified unsalted butter
  • 1 large brown onion, sliced or chopped
  • 1 garlic bulb, minced
  • 2-inches ginger, finely grated
  • 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 tsp. garam masala
  • 1 tsp. ground coriander
  • 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tsp. red chili powder (adjust to your taste preference)
  • 1 T. peri peri
  • 1 1/4 tsp. salt (or to taste)
  • 1 c. of heavy cream
  • 1 T. sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. dried fenugreek leaves

Directions:

  1. In a bowl, combine chicken with all of the ingredients for the chicken marinade; let marinate overnight.
  2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When sizzling, add chicken pieces in batches of two or three, making sure not to crowd the pan. Fry until browned for only 3-minutes on each side. Set aside and keep warm. (You will finish cooking the chicken in the sauce.)
  3. Heat butter in the same pan. Fry the onions until they start to sweat (~ 6-minutes) while scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan. 
  4. Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1-minute until fragrant, then add ground coriander, cumin and garam masala. Let cook for about 20-seconds until fragrant, while stirring occasionally.
  5. Add crushed tomatoes, chili powder, peri peri and salt. Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens and becomes a deep brown red color.
  6. Remove from heat, scoop mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. You may need to add a couple tablespoons of water to help it blend (up to 1/4 cup). Work in batches depending on the size of your blender.
  7. Pour the puréed sauce back into the pan. Stir the cream, sugar and crushed fenugreek leaves through the sauce. Add the chicken with juices back into the pan and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and bubbling.
  8. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with Jasmine rice.