Photo by Nicole Sipe |
Ingredients
- 1 chicken, cut up (leave bones in thighs, legs, and wings): 2 wings, 2 thighs, 2 legs, breast (two halves, deboned, cut into 4 pieces)
- 3 cups cornmeal
- 3 tablespoons curry powder
- 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt or sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 4 cups chicken broth (homemade or canned)
- 2 tablespoons ginger, minced
- 2½ tablespoons garlic, minced
- 1 to 2 serrano or jalapeno chili peppers, seeds removed
- 3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
- 8 green onions, tops included, chopped
- 1/3 cup mint, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 to 2 limes
Preparation
Homemade broth
Prepare chicken broth by boiling back and breastbones in 5 cups of water for 30 to 40 minutes, covered
Curried Chicken
Rinse all chicken pieces, and pat dry.
In a plastic or paper bag, combine the cornmeal, curry powder, salt, pepper and coriander. (Shake the bag to mix well.) Add the chicken, one or two pieces at a time, and shake the bag to coat the chicken all over with cornmeal and spices.
Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, deep skillet or Dutch oven. Add the chicken pieces—large ones first, then smaller ones—and cook uncovered for 10 minutes on medium heat, occasionally turning the pieces over, so they’ll cook evenly.
Remove chicken pieces from pan to a plate, while you make the sauce. Using the same pan, add 1 cup of chicken broth, stirring and scraping the sides of the pan. Add minced ginger and garlic and chili pepper(s). (For sensitive taste buds, cut one pepper in half—be sure to remove the seeds—and cook that way, gently removing it before serving. For hot-food lovers, mince two peppers and stir them into the simmering sauce.)
Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently to combine ingredients. Add peanut butter, stirring quickly and gently to incorporate it into the simmering sauce. Slowly add the remaining 3½ cups of chicken broth, stirring constantly to maintain the smooth texture of the sauce.
Return the chicken pieces to the pan and simmer in the sauce, covered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking or scorching. Just before serving, stir in the chopped green onions.
Serve over steamed rice. Top each serving with mint and cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.
Serves 4 to 6.
For more great international chicken recipes, see the Spring 2011 issue of Chickens magazine.
