Chicken Piccata

This recipe is from "Martha Stewart's Cooking School."

The Martha Stewart Show, November Fall 2008 

 

• Yield Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 chicken cutlets, about 1/4-inch thick
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons dry white wine
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons salt-packed capers, soaked in water 20 minutes, then drained, rinsed, and drained again
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

1. Dredge chicken: Spread flour in a shallow dish; add 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and whisk to combine. Place chicken in seasoned flour, turning to coat thoroughly, then tap off excess.
   
2. Saute chicken: Heat the oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until butter starts to sizzle. Cook the chicken in batches, if necessary, to avoid crowding the pan (the cutlets should fit snugly in a single layer) until golden and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes for each side. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the cutlet. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Pour out any excess fat from the pan.
   
3. Deglaze pan and make sauce: Return pan to medium heat and add wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 30 seconds. (If the liquid is reducing too quickly -- before all the browned bits have been incorporated -- take the pan off the heat.) Remove pan from heat. Add lemon juice, capers, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter and swirl until melted and combined, then add parsley and season with salt as desired.
   
4. Serve: Immediately pour the sauce over the chicken, and serve.

Chicken Curry

This great recipe for chicken curry is from "Martha Stewart's Cooking School."

The Martha Stewart Show, January Winter 2009 

 

• Yield Serves 6

• For Garam Masala

  • 1 cinnamon stick, broken into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole allspice

• For Paste

  • 3 medium-size yellow onions, peeled and coarsely chopped (3 1/2 cups)
  • 10 to 12 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 piece (4 ounces) fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons sunflower or other neutral-tasting oil
  • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon black or brown mustard seeds
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• For Stew

  • 1 quart Basic Chicken Stock
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 6 fresh curry leaves (optional)
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 3 small dried red chiles, finely ground
  • Coarse salt
  • 10 chicken thighs (about 3 1/2 pounds), cut in half through the bone (or left whole)
  • 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus sprigs for garnish

• For Serving (Optional)

  • Cooked Basmati Rice
  • Plain yogurt
  • Lime wedges

Directions

1. Make garam masala: Gently toast the spices in a dry saute pan over medium heat until they are fragrant. Let cool slightly, then grind spice to a fine powder in a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder. You should have about 1/4 cup.
   
2. Prepare paste: Puree the onions, garlic, and ginger in a blender until smooth. Set a Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium heat. When it is hot, add the oil, cumin seeds, and mustard seeds and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until mixture is fragrant and starts to turn golden brown, and mustard seeds begin to pop, 30 to 60 seconds. Stir in onion paste and cook until caramelized, about 45 minutes. During this time, you'll need to stir only occasionally in the beginning, but as the moisture evaporates you'll need to stir more and more frequently and, at the end, fairly constantly to keep it from turning too dark. Once the paste is ready, stir in the garam masala and tomato paste and continue cooking and stirring for another 5 minutes.
   
3. Pour in the stock and deglaze pot, stirring vigorously to incorporate the paste mixture. Add turmeric, curry leaves, bay leaves, and ground chiles, and season with salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the stock has reduced slightly (and the flavors have melded), about 45 minutes. Add the chicken and potatoes. Submerging them in the liquid as much as possible. Simmer until the chicken is tender (but not falling off the bone) and cooked through (prick the meat to make sure the juices run clear) and the potatoes are tender (they should still hold their shape but offer little resistance when pricked with a sharp knife). This will take about 30 minutes more.
   
4. Serve: Add the chopped cilantro and stir to combine. Garnish stew with cilantro sprigs, and serve with rice, yogurt, and lime wedges as desired.