Weekend Cooking: The Chicken Curry Event

I didn't do a Weekend Cooking post last week, so this dish we made almost 2 weeks ago now. We chose a chicken curry dish from the Provisions and Politics cookbook. Similar to a couple weeks ago when we made a French dish, we have never made a curry dish before either, so it was interesting. I have a few adjustments I would make to the recipe for a second go around!

I have to admit, I have NO IDEA how to relate this recipe to Sarah Polk or anything historical. I have stretched my mind every way to try to come up with some connection, but to no avail, we just wanted to make the chicken curry.

The Chicken Curry Event
6 servings

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unbleached flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3 Chicken breasts, boned and split
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Onion, minced
2 Green bell peppers, chopped
3 Garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp curry powder
1 (15 oz) can stewed tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can Cream of Coconut
Tabasco to taste
Worcestershire sauce to taste
1 cup raisins or currants

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2) Mix the flour with salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Coat the chicken with the flour mixture. Brown the chicken lightly on both sides in 3 Tbsp of the butter. Remove chicken to a baking dish, reserving the pan drippings.
3) Heat the remaining 2 Tbsp butter with the pan drippings. Saute the onion, peppers and garlic until onion is tender. Stir in the curry powder. Cook for 1 minute stirring frequently. Stir in the undrained tomatoes and cream of coconut.
4) Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring frequently. Season with Tabasco and Worcestershire sauces. Stir in currants or raisins. Spoon the curry mixture over the chicken. Bake covered for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
5) Serve over hot cooked rice, cashews, banana chips, chopped apples, mango chutney, toasted coconut, chopped scallions, or other condiment of choice.

OK, first of all I want to share an important lesson learned from this cooking experience about Cream of Coconut. I had never worked with this ingredient before so I had no idea what to do with it and the can offered no directions. I bought the Goya brand, you can find it in the International Foods section of your grocery store. When you open the can it looks like there is a 1 inch thick layer of wax that looks un-edible and then a liquid portion making up most of the can. Apparently that waxy substance is the cream part. After spending time online, I think you are supposed to use this part as well - I just threw it out because I thought it was wax to protect the liquid inside. Those of you that have used this are probably laughing at me, but neither of us had any idea what to do with this ingredient.

Also, I would probably use only 1 bell pepper next time, unless you love green peppers.  We used 1 1/2 and it felt like all I was eating was peppers, and I don't like them THAT much.  We also substituted dried cranberries instead of raisins, as we already had them at home and they worked great.  Overall, it was a great dish.  We used the 3 Tbsp of curry it indicated and it was just a little spicy, but if you like more spice feel free to add more.


Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads and and food or cooking related post can participate.





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