Bruce Barone

Our son and daughter-in-law returned home to Colorado a few days ago after having spent 10 days here in Western Massachusetts visiting and celebrating Christmas with friends and family–and dinner at our home the night before flying back to Colorado, where they were married back in September.

Susan found this recipe from The New York Times Cooking and thought it would make for a special dinner for the four of us. It did

Kay Chun, a recipe developer, food stylist, and New York Times Cooking contributor writes :

“Usually milder and sweeter than Indian curries, classic Japanese curry is a thick beef-and-vegetable stew served over rice. This recipe is not a traditional one, but rather an easy weeknight version, a one-pot meal featuring juicy chicken thighs, vegetables and rice. Instead of relying on store-bought or homemade instant curry roux, this dish relies on a few spices to mimic traditional Japanese curry flavors. Curry powder, ground nutmeg and Worcestershire sauce are combined and bloomed in butter to create the round and rich sauce. Onions, potatoes and carrots create the bulk of traditional Japanese curry, but sweet potatoes, cauliflower and peas would be great substitutions or additions. Serve the meal with any type of pickle you have on hand for a vinegary hit to contrast the rich curry.”

I didn’t have Madras Curry. The main difference between regular curry and Madras Curry is the heat Madras brings to a dish, so a little spicier than the curry powder. This heat comes from chili peppers that are added into the spice blend, so it can have a little bit of a different color than regular curry, a little more red and darker. Guess what I did! I added a teaspoon of Slap Ya Momma Cajun Seasoning and it worked its Cajun magic!

Also, I added cauliflower and baby corn.

Ingredients

Yield: 4 servings

• 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 6 large thighs)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• Salt and black pepper
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ cup finely chopped white or yellow onion
• 3 tablespoons Madras curry powder
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (I grated it.)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (I grated it.)
• ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1½ cups short-grain white rice, rinsed until water runs clear
• 1 large baking potato (about 1 pound), such as russet, white or Idaho, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
• 3 medium carrots, sliced ½-inch thick
• 3½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• Chopped scallions, pickles, kimchi and/or hot sauce, for serving

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Rub chicken with 1 tablespoon oil, and season with salt and pepper.
2. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil with 1 tablespoon butter over medium until butter is melted. Working in two batches, brown chicken 3 to 4 minutes per side, and transfer to a plate. (My pot is large enough to brown all six thighs at the same time.)
3. Add onion to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until softened, 2 minutes. Add curry powder, garlic, ginger, nutmeg and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and stir until butter is melted and spices are fragrant, 1 minute.
4. Add rinsed rice and stir until evenly coated in spices. Add potato, carrots, broth and Worcestershire sauce, scraping bottom of pot to lift up any browned bits. Season broth generously with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken (and any accumulated juices) on top, skin side up, and bring to a boil over high. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until most of the liquid is absorbed and chicken is golden and cooked through, about 10 minutes longer.
5. Divide chicken and rice among bowls, and garnish with scallions. Serve with any combination of pickles, kimchi and hot sauce.

I served it all in one large serving bowl.

For dessert Susan made Peach Melba.

We gave them belated wedding present, a check to help them pay for their honeymoon this summer in Thailand. The card featured my third ever watercolor–the rocks at Arrowhead Golf Course, where they were married. (I am taking a six week course in watercolor painting for beginners starting in January at the Springfield Museums.)

One last thing. There were two chicken thighs and rice leftover. I deboned the two thighs, removed the skin and cut chicken into small pieces. This was our dinner the next night. YUM!