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Chappal Kebab with Fresh Green Chutney and Almond-Raisin Basmati

/ Ren

Freshly-ground pastured lamb with onions, garlic, chiles and toasted spices is sizzled in cardamom-scented ghee and  served over almond-raisin basmati with a chutney of fresh mint, coriander, ginger and yogurt..

Chappal Kebab with Fresh Green Chutney and Almond-Raisin Basmati

For the Chutney (adapted from a recipe by Madhur Jaffrey)

2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Wash fresh mint and coriander (cilantro) leaves, pat dry and place in the bowl of a food processor along with the ginger, yogurt and lemon juice.  Pulse until finely chopped, then season to taste with salt and pepper.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the Rice

1 cup basmati rice
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons raisins, chopped
2 tablespoons raw almonds, blanched, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon dried rose hips (optional)
1 teaspoon good curry powder

Cook rice in stock in the normal manner, then add raisins,  almonds, rose hips and curry.  Stir to combine.  Add 1 1/2 tablespoons pan juices from the following recipe just before serving.

Chappal Kebab

1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted
2 teaspoons coriander seeds, toasted
6 cloves
1 tablespoon sweet cinnamon shards
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/3 of a whole nutmeg

1 pound freshly-ground pastured lamb
1/2 small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 hot green chiles, minced
2 tablespoons ghee
6 green cardamom pods
1 sprig fresh curry leaves
1 fresh bay leaf

Grind the first 6 ingredients together in a coffee or spice grinder and set aside.

Loosely combine ground lamb together in a bowl with onions, garlic, chiles and ground spices.  Divide mixture into 8 2oz pieces, using your hands to roll each into a not too-tightly packed ball, then set aside.

Heat ghee in a heavy skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Add cardamom pods, bay and curry leaves and sizzle 2 minutes.  Add lamb and cook until cooked through and crispy-brown on the outside, about 15 minutes.  Briefly set aside to drain, then strain some of the butter & pan juices into the rice.

To serve, spoon rice into the center of a serving dish and arrange lamb over the top.  Dress with chilled green chutney and serve immediately.

Khorma Pilau

/ Ren

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)

/ Ren

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

/ Ren

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

/ Ren

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

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