Khorma Pilau
Pastured chicken pieces are marinated in yogurt with lots of fresh ginger, garlic and ground coriander, then seared in ghee with yellow onions, green chiles, cardamom, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric and mace before being slow-simmered in coconut cream thickened with ground almonds. Extremely flavorful, but not too spicy..
Khorma Pilau
1 whole chicken
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons freshly-grated ginger
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1-2 green chiles
8 green cardamom pods
2 black cardamom pods
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon sweet cinnamon shards
1 teaspoon turmeric
6 whole cloves
1 blade mace
1 sprig fresh curry leaf (optional)
1 cup unsweetened coconut cream
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Cut a fresh, pastured chicken into 8 pieces and remove skin. Place into a glass bowl and toss with yogurt, ginger, garlic and coriander. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Heat ghee in a heavy skillet over medium heat, then add onions, chiles, cardamom, cumin and curry leaf and sauté until onions are browned. Add chicken with its marinade, cinnamon, turmeric, coconut cream and water and stir to combine.
Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer until chicken is just tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in ground almonds and cook 10 minutes more. Adjust seasoning with sea salt freshly-ground black pepper.
Serve over basmati rice pilaf and garnish with chopped cilantro.
Reshmi Murgh (Silken Chicken)
Fresh, pastured chicken is rubbed with lemon juice and sea salt, then blast-roasted in a sauce of fresh cream, homemade garam masala, onions, ginger, toasted cumin and mint. Served with stock-simmered brown rice with bits of garden vegetables..
Reshmi Murgh (Silken Chicken)
Adapted from recipes by Madhur Jaffrey
For the Garam Masala
1 tablespoon cardamom seeds
2-inch stick of Ceylon cinnamon
1/3 of a whole nutmeg
1 teaspoon black Tellicherry peppercorns
1 teaspoon black cumin seeds
1 teaspoon whole cloves
Grind all ingredients together into a fine powder. Store in an airtight container up to 2 months.
For Marinating the Chicken
1 pound skinned, bone-in chicken pieces (I prefer thighs)
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup fresh heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon half-sharp paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon freshly-grated ginger
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
Pierce each piece of chicken several times with the tip of a small knife, then rub all over with sea salt and lemon juice and let stand 10 minutes. Combine cream, garam masala, mint, paprika, cumin, garlic and ginger in a bowl. Coat each piece of chicken with the mixture and allow to stand 10 minutes.
To Prepare the Chicken
sea salt
freshly-ground Tellicherry pepper
a couple of pinches of garam masala
a couple of pinches of toasted, ground cumin
a pinch of cayenne
1/4 cup diced yellow onion
1/2 of a fresh lemon for squeezing
Line a high-sided cast iron pan with foil and arrange chicken pieces so that they are not touching the sides or each other. Sprinkle each piece with a little of the dry spices then squeeze lemon over the top. Roast in a 500 degree oven until the juices run clear, about 25 minutes for breasts or about 40 minutes for thighs.
Serve hot from the oven with stock-simmered brown rice, pouring a little of the pan juices over the top. Garnish with a little extra mint.
Pan-Seared, Pole-Caught Maguro with Habanero Mango Sauce
Pole-and-line-caught US Atlantic yellowfin tuna is quickly seared in ginger and lemongrass-infused coconut oil and served with a fresh habanero mango sauce..
Pan-Seared, Pole-Caught Maguro with Habanero Mango Sauce
Infused oil
3 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
1 tablespoon freshly-grated ginger
1 6″ piece fresh lemongrass, split
2-3 sprigs fresh cilantro
1/2 fresh habanero, stemmed and seeded
Melt coconut oil over medium heat until very hot but not smoking . Add ginger, lemongrass, cilantro and chile, remove from heat and allow to steep 20 minutes. Discard lemongrass.
Mango Sauce
1 fresh mango, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed Mayer lemon juice
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
the ginger, cilantro and chile from above recipe
1 tablespoon infused oil from above recipe
filtered water
sea salt
Add all ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until smooth, adding water as needed to achieve a spoon-able consistency. Adjust for salt and chill until ready to serve.
Seared Tuna
very fresh tuna steaks, about 1 inch thick
2 tablespoons infused oil from above recipe
sea salt
freshly-ground red and black peppercorns
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat for 10 minutes. Coat tuna with infused oil and season with salt and pepper. Sear about 1 minute per side for rare, then transfer to a cutting board and allow to rest 5 minutes before carving into 3/8 inch thick slices. Spoon mango sauce into the center of a plate and arrange tuna on top. Garnish as you like.
Orange Ginger-Grilled Pork with Toasted Sesame Somen
Thick cuts of pastured, heritage pork loin are marinated in a mixture of fermented soy, fresh ginger, garlic, coriander, anise and freshly-squeezed orange juice, then wood-grilled to juicy perfection. Served over handmade somen noodles wih braised baby bok choy, slivers of scallion, red bell pepper, toasted sesame seeds and grilled citrus..
Orange Ginger-Grilled Pork with Toasted Sesame Somen
click to enlarge
Smoked Duck Breast with Braised Bok Choy, Ginger Pear Salad
Smoked magret duck breast is rubbed with Chinese 5-spice, then seared in its own fat until the skin is crisp. The duck is then sliced and served with braised baby bok choy and a salad of Asian pear, pickled ginger, sunflower sprouts and toasted sesame dressed with an ume plum vinaigrette..
Smoked Duck Breast with Braised Bok Choy, Ginger Pear Salad
For the Duck
Rinse andpat dry half of a smoked magret duck breast. Use a thin, sharp knife to score a crosshatch pattern into the skin, taking care not to cut into the muscle. Rub the breast with Chinese 5-spice then place skin side down into a heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Cook until the skin is crisp and much of the fat has rendered, then turn and quickly sear the other side. Transfer to a cutting board.
For the Bok Choy
Season quartered baby bok choy with salt and pepper then place flat side down into the pan with the rendered duck fat. Cook until slightly browned, then add 1/4 cup water, turn and cover until tender, about 5 minutes.
For the Salad
1 Asian pear, jullienned
1 1/2 tablespoons sushi-style pickled ginger
1/4 cup sunflower sprouts
1 teaspoon white sesame seeds, toasted
1/2 teaspoon black sesame seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, cracked and toasted
1 teaspoon crispy garlic, crushed
1 palmful fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon ginger juice
2 tablespoons umeboshi plum vinegar
1 teaspoon traditionally-fermented soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
sea salt and freshly-ground Szechuan pepper to taste
Combine ginger juice, vinegar, soy and lemon juice together in a bowl. Slowly whisk in oils. Add remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Refrigerate until needed.
To serve, slice warm duck breast about 3/8 inch thick and arrange over braised bok choy. Garnish with ginger pear salad and drizzle with a little vinaigrette.
Like this:
Mary had a little lamb. I ate it with curry and rice.
Freshly-ground local, pastured lamb is seasoned with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper before being seared in blazing-hot grass-fed ghee with hulled cardamom, sweet cinnamon shards, mustard seeds, fresh ginger and green chilies, tomatoes and garlic. The pan juices are combined with turmeric, sweet paprika and coconut milk and reduced until thick.
Short grain rice is simmered with 4x its own weight in homemade bone broth with golden fried onions, toasted cumin and coriander, fresh English peas and a pinch of saffron..
Lamb Curry with Rice and English Peas
Curry in a hurry!
