Cooking Class: Chicken Tikka Masala

Bindweed kitchen was on fire last night as good friends gathered for our last class of the season, Chicken Tikka Masala.  (More about that later.)

Tikka is the Hindi word for cutlets or "chunks" of meat and masala translates as "heat" and is used to describe a mixture of spices.  Thus Chicken Tikka Masala is a dish of marinated cutlets of chicken simmered in a creamy tomato based sauce flavored with a mix of traditional Indian spices.  From what I have read it is more British in origin than Indian, but is a standard at Indian restaurants.  RT and I had some from a street vendor in Portland and I was not content until I could make it myself and as you well know, once I fall in love with a recipe, I just have to share it.

 

Cooking Indian dishes is a sensual delight--beautiful colors, savory and pungent spices for the nose and taste buds.  Just gathering the ingredients gets my juices flowing, especially when you toast some spices right off the bat!  Here we start with paprika, cumin and coriander toasted in dry skillet just until fragrant.   

Then you add tumeric and cayenne pepper.  Mix all the spices together and then set aside 3 tablespoons of the mixture for the sauce and put the remainder in a medium bowl.

 

Peel and grate some ginger and peel and mince a LOT of garlic and mix the two together, creating a garlic/ginger paste.  Divide this mixture in half and reserve one part in a small container for the sauce.  

Combine the spice mixture in a medium bowl with one half of the garlic/ginger paste and about a cup of plain yogurt.  Mix this up well, add a bit of salt and the juice of 1/2 a lemon.  

Use this yogurt marinade to sink your chicken thighs in.  Mix it all around so that every surface of the chicken is coated--seriously, get your hands in there and massage those thighs.  Just remember to wash your hands well with soap.  Another sensual element to this dish.  

 Cover and pop this in the fridge for at least 4 hours or up to 8 hours.  Much of the heavy work is done so go put your feet up, read a good book or watch an enchanting movie--Monsoon Wedding, Outsourced, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel or Bride and Prejudice--just to put you in the mood for something rich and spicy!

About 45 minutes before you are ready to serve, start the sauce.  

Peel and chop an onion.

Locate the 3 tablespoons of spice mixture you reserved and the remaining half of the garlic/ginger paste and set them near the stove top.

Open two cans of diced tomatoes and wash and mince some fresh cilantro.  

Cover and line a broiler pan with foil and spray it with cooking spray--unless you love soaking and scraping broiler pans.

Set your broiler to 500 degrees.

Set some basmati rice to cook.

Open an icy Indian beer for company and you are ready to rock this curry.

Place your beautifully marinated chicken (tikka) on your prepared broiler pan.

Put a heavy bottomed Dutch oven (I am using Sophie) over medium high heat and add in a generous amount of canola oil.  As soon as the oil begins to shimmer--a good sign the oil is hot and ready--add the onion and a pinch or so of salt.  Saute the onions until they begin to color.

Now add the garlic/ginger paste, cook this while stirring for about a minute, do not let the garlic burn!  Add in the reserved spices, stir, cook and enjoy the aromatic halo that swirls around your head, and will "perfume" you and your hair for quite some time.  You will make everyone near you hungry, craving Indian food.

Now pour in the diced tomatoes and all of their juices.  Stir up any browned bits that might be on the bottom of the pan, add some cilantro and let this simmer for 15 minutes.

While your sauce is perking away cook the chicken.  Slide the pan under the broiler and set the timer for 6 minutes.  You want the chicken to show browned bits, but not to burn.  Last night we broiler the chicken for 8 minutes on each side.  The chicken will not be cooked through, you will finish the cooking in the sauce.  Remove the chicken to a cutting board and cut it into bite sized pieces.  

If you are lucky and own an immersion or stick blender, use it to puree your sauce.  If not, carefully transfer your sauce to a blender or food processor to puree.  (Yes, those are tulips that RT just cut and brought in.  That means my days of leisure are numbered and cooking must give way to farming--and unfortunately an end to cooking classes this season.)

Set the sauce back on the heat to simmer and add the chicken.  Cook until the chicken is done, about five minutes.

 

 As soon as your chicken is perfectly cooked add a cup of cream, stir and remove from the heat. Serve immediately over steaming basmati rice, garnished with fresh cilantro.  Enjoy this rich delicate curry with good friends and another icy Asian beer.

Chicken Tikka Masala

3 lbs. chicken thighs, boned

2 TB cumin

2 TB paprika

1 TB coriander

1 tsp turmeric

½ tsp cayenne pepper

8 cloves garlic, grated fine

3 TB fresh ginger, grated fine

1-2 c. plain yogurt (you need enough to cover and coat all of the chicken)

2/3 c. lemon juice, freshly squeezed, divided

1 tsp salt

4 TB  butter or ghee or canola oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 (28 ounce/quart) tomatoes

½ c. cilantro, chopped

1 c. cream

If chicken thighs have skin, score skin at 1-inch intervals and place in a shallow dish or pan.

Marinade:

Combine cumin, paprika and coriander and toast in a dry skillet.  Slide spices into a small bowl and add the turmeric and cayenne, and mix well. Set aside 3 TB of spice mixture.   Add half the garlic, ginger, lemon and all the yogurt and salt.  Stir until combined.  Pour over chicken and massage into every part.  Cover and refrigerate for 4-8 hours.

Sauce:

Heat butter, ghee or oil in a large Dutch oven over med-high heat until melted and foaming subsides.  Add onions and cook for 5 min.  Add garlic and ginger and continue cooking until dark spots begin to appear, about 5 min. more.  Add reserved spice mixture and cook, stirring 30 seconds.  Add tomatoes and half of the cilantro.  Simmer for 15 min., then puree using a hand blender.  Sitr in cream and remaining quarter cup lemon juice.  Season to taste with salt and set aside until chicken is ready.

Chicken may be cooked on the grill or in the broiler.

To grill:

Wipe off excess marinade and cook flesh-side-down over medium heat on a well-oiled grill for 4-5 min. without moving.  Flip and cook the other side for another 4-5 min.  Chicken may not be completely cooked.  Remove and let rest 5 min. 

To broil:

Wipe off excess marinade and cook flesh-side-up 6 in. under a hot broiler for 8 min.  Chicken may not be completely cooked.  Transfer to cutting board and allow to rest 5 min.

After chicken has rested cut into bit sized pieces and add to sauce.  Simmer until chicken is cooked through.  Serve over rice garnished with remaining cilantro.

Adapted from Serious Eats

Triple Threat Chocolate Cake

 I love chocolate--so to celebrate Valentines Day I made the richest chocolate cake in my repertoire. And because I am wise and have no will-power we took this beautiful cake to "after yoga" to share.  Talk about winning friends, I felt like a rock star.  Every head turned in adoration, tongues lolling, a little drooling and a few heavy sighs--everyone loves chocolate cake!

This recipe comes from my daughter Jerica.  I love this recipe because it is relatively simple, versatile and results in a beautiful dense dark chocolate cake.  What's not to love!

I start by melting a mixture of semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate, because I like dark chocolate.  The recipe advises melting the chocolate over a double boiler, but after exhaustive research and trial and error, I have discovered that the microwave does the job just as well.  It is faster and you can do it all in one bowl.  I do it in 30 second bursts--stir, check for melti-ness and repeat until the chocolate is melted or almost melted.  (The last few bits will melt from the surrounding chocolate lava.)  Then I set this aside to cool a bit and separate the eggs.

Jerica was a poor graduate student when she first made this recipe so she did not have a mix-master and she assures me the next steps can be done with a hand whisk or electric beaters.  Lucky me, I have a mix-master but I do not have an extra bowl for it so I improvise.  I beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks and then transfer them to another bowl and pop them in the fridge.   A quick rinse and my bowl is ready for the next step.  I drop in some butter and sugar and set the machine to medium.

When the butter and sugar are light and fluffy, I slide in the eggs.  Just a quick whip until everything is combined and creamy.

Now is the time for creativity--Jerica adds Gran Marnier and orange peel, but I don't love orange and chocolate so I add Kahlua.  (I have also made this recipe with Amaretto.  Like truffles, I think this recipe would lend itself to any liquor you prefer.  The next time I make this I am going to add cayenne and chipotle chile powder, for a spicy, smoky chocolate cake!)

Give this a stir and add the flour and a pinch of salt.  When this is all combined add the warm chocolate and stir until everything is well combined.  Then fold in the egg whites--this lightens the batter but take care to fold gently so that the egg whites do not collapse.  Carefully pour the batter into a parchment lined spring form pan and pop it into a 350 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes.

Do not over bake the cake, test it at 35 to 40 minutes with a toothpick.  The top will look dry and cracked and the tester will come out with a few moist crumbs.  Cool your cake in the pan.

When the cake has cooled completely, remove it from the spring form and place it on a rack over a baking sheet in preparation for the ganache.

 

Combine butter and chocolate in a bowl and melt it gently in the microwave.  I added a generous tablespoon of Kahlua and stirred it in completely.  Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it is just about ready to boil and stir it into the melted chocolate.  (I was out of heavy cream--gasp--so again I improvised and used half and half!) 

 This is the funnest part--just pour the warm melty chocolate over the cake!  Make sure it flows over to coat the sides of the cake and then let it rest.  Gently slide it onto a cake stand, cover it with a dome and let it chill in the fridge to set the ganache.

Voile!  Three kinds of chocolate combined in two different ways--that probably makes it more of an exponential threat but I would rather cook than do the math!

  -->

Triple Threat Chocolate Cake

10 oz. chocolate, chopped or baking chips (I use a combination of semi-sweet, bittersweet and super dark chocolate to get a really rich combination.)

1 c. sugar

¾ c. butter, room temp

6 eggs, separated

2 TB Kahlua (again, use your imagination and personal preference)

2 tsp. vanilla

½ c. flour

¼ tsp. salt

For ganache:

5 oz. chocolate combination

5 TB butter

2 TB Kahlua

½ c. half and half or heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350.  Butter 10 in. springform pan and make a little parchment paper round to line the bottom.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals, or over a double boiler.  Set aside to cool a bit.

Beat the egg whites until they form peaks.  Set aside in the fridge. 

Combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium until light and fluffy.  Add the egg yolks, liquor and vanilla and beat again until well combined.  Stir in the warm chocolate.  Add flour and salt and stir to blend.  Fold the egg whites gently into the chocolate mixture in three additions.  Transfer batter into springform pan.

Bake cake until top is dry and cracked and tester inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 40 to 45 minutes.  Cool cake in pan on rack completely.  Cover and let stand at room temperature.

A few hours before serving make the ganache.  Melt butter and chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave, again in 30 second bursts.  Stir in the liquor until well blended.  Warm the cream in a small saucepan just to the point of boiling and stir into the chocolate. 

Remove the cake from the pan and set on a cake rack over a baking sheet.  Pour the ganache over the cake allowing it to flow over, coating the sides of the cake.  Let rest for a few minutes and then slide the cake gently onto a cake stand, cover with a dome and chill in the fridge to set the ganache.

Creme Brulee

Cooking class continued:  For dessert, creme brulee.  And why not, we are gearing up for Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday.

So as soon as our Shrimp Etouffee was simmering away we jumped into creme brulee, which I am not technically spelling correctly.  (There should be an accent in creme and a little clown hat over the u and another accent over the last ee's in brulee, but technically I have no idea how to make the computer type them.  So please forgive me, I really do know they exist.)  Anyway, it is easier to make creme brulee than type it!

It is so similar to my Zabaglione gelato recipe that I can whip it up in a matter of minutes.  I split a vanilla bean and let it steep in heavy cream while I whisk egg yolks and sugar together.  When the egg yolks and sugar begin to change colors, from lemon egg yolk yellow to creamy butter yellow, I put the cream over medium heat.  Just about the time the egg yolks are super light and fluffy the cream is beginning to just bubble around the edges of the pan--perfect timing.  

I carefully add a little of the warm cream to the egg mixture and stir it around, to temper the eggs.  Gradually, I combine the cream and eggs until they are one.  Watch out for the vanilla bean, when it becomes visible, I fish it out and scrape out every little tiny seed and add them all to the custard. I add a little Marsala wine because it really puts an Italian spin on these very French puddings.

I like to transfer everything to a measuring cup with a good handle and clean pouring spout to make it easier to fill the ramekins.  I put all the ramekins into a baking dish and place it near the oven, fill the ramekins about 3/4 full and slide everything into the oven.  Then I make a nice water bath for my little custards and bake them for 25 to 30 minutes.  So easy.

After baking, the ramekins need to chill out in the fridge to set the custard and prepare them for the brulee.  After chilling for at least three hours the puddings are ready for the torch.  Sprinkle them with a light coating of extra-fine sugar and then set the flame.

Notice that the ramekin is on a non-flamable surface.  Smart, no!

 Nearly ready...

Perfetto!

Seriously--creme brulee is a super easy super show-off dessert, so impressive with so little effort.  You must have a torch, I tried to get a beautiful brulee (which just means burnt) in the broiler but it is really tricky.  So make life easy and get a little torch.  Before my sis gave this one to me, I just used the farm torch--you know, the kind you get at the ranch store!

I love this moment:  Vanilla cream and burnt sugar mingle in the air.  Dear friends and family are gathered around my table and EVERYONE is smiling.  Taking a cue from me, we raise our spoons in unison and CRACK--the table comes alive to the cacophony sugar crackling and laughter!

-->

Crème Brulee

2 c. cream

1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp. vanilla

½ c. sugar

6 egg yolks

pinch of salt

¼ c. Marsala wine

3 T. superfine sugar

Preheat oven to 325. 

Pour cream into a medium saucepan.  Split vanilla bean and add it to the cream and let it steep.

Separate egg yolks and put them into the bowl of a mix-master, or into a medium bowl.  Add ½ c. sugar, a pinch of salt and either mix on medium speed or using a whisk, mix the egg yolks and sugar until they are light and fluffy.  I mix until it turns the color of butter—the egg yolk and sugar will become lighter and lighter in color and texture.

Meanwhile heat the cream over medium heat until it begins to steam and just begins to form bubbles along the edges.  Stir frequently to avoid forming a skin on the top of the cream.

Carefully add some of the cream to the egg mixture, stir and repeat this process until the cream and milk are completely combined.  Do this gradually to temper the eggs.  Watch for the vanilla bean and fish it out before it slips into the egg mixture.  Use a small spoon to scrape the “caviar” out of the bean and add every little seed possible to the egg/cream mixture.  Add the Marsala wine.  Stir well to incorporate the vanilla seeds and transfer the custard into eight 8 oz. ramekins. 

Transfer the ramekins to a baking and place in the center rack of the oven.  Pour enough boiling water into the baking dish until the water level reaches halfway up the ramekins.  Bake 25-30 min.  Do not let custards brown.

Remove baking dish from oven and ramekins from baking dish.  Set ramekins on a wire rack to cool for a few minutes and then chill them in the fridge.  Custards need to chill for at least 3 hours to set, I usually do them a day ahead.

Just before serving, place ramekins on a flameproof surface, like a baking sheet, and sprinkle each with just enough superfine sugar to cover the surface, about a half a teaspoon.  Using a kitchen torch, flame each custard to the desired point.  Serve immediately.

Shrimp Etouffee

 I woke this morning dreaming I was in New Orleans--the smell of onions, peppers and garlic simmering with shrimp lingering in the air.   Mmm--mmm, Shrimp Etouffee!  The featured dish of our second cooking class this season, perfect timing for Mardi Gras and/or Valentines Day next week.

"Etouffee" means smothered, shrimp etouffe means sweet succulent shrimp smothered in a spicy southern gravy.   If you want a delicious gravy you must start with a good stock, which means homemade.  Etouffee is a quick cooking simple meal so you can afford a little extra time and effort to create this rich base.  This is how I made mine.  

A few hours before class I peeled and chopped up an onion and a carrot and roughly diced up some celery.  Then I smashed some big garlic cloves, pulled their skins off and threw everything into my big stock pot.  I tossed in a bay leaf, some pepper corns and dried thyme.  Then I peeled the shrimp, saving and rinsing the shells to put in the stock.

I added enough water to cover everything and set it to boil.  As soon as it boiled the scents began dancing around the kitchen.  When RT came in from a little greenhouse work, he nearly cried with joy.  I let this beautiful mixture simmer for awhile and then let it steep until class.

Each arriving guest was greeted with this wonder smell, a nice glass of wine and we got cooking!

When I drained the shrimp stock, I got a little over 3 cups.  I seasoned it to taste with about a teaspoon and a half of salt.  We had a little tasting and my students were surprised by complexity of this simple concoction.  If you want good gravy, start with a good stock.

The next crucial step is making the roux.  A roux is so simple--two ingredients, butter and flour.  With a little heat and a little attention and you have buttery caramel colored gold, but the attention is important.  I set "Sofie"--she's my Lodge 6 quart red enameled Dutch oven--a gift from my dear husband--over medium heat and dropped in the butter.  As soon as it melted I began to stir in the flour.  It is a simple as that, just watch and stir, watch and stir.  Don't answer the phone, don't text, don't stop stirring to take a pic for the blog--just stir and watch.  I think of it as my butter meditation--ommmmm. 

The butter will start to turn colors--off white, ecru, tan--getting deeper and richer.  You are looking for the color of peanut butter, not Skippy or Jiff, but a nice whole peanut natural peanut butter.   As soon as we got a real deep golden peanuty color we introduced the "holy trinity" of Creole vegetables:  onion, celery and green peppers.  You just drop these right in and keep on stirring.

 

After about 3 minutes, bamm!  I tossed in the seasoning, a big spoonful of Emeril Lagasse's special blend and when that combination of spices hit the room there was swooning.  (You'll find a recipe below.)  Then we tossed in the garlic, bay leaves and a pint of my home-canned tomatoes and let everybody mingle.  As soon as this was bubbly I added the shrimp stock and let it all come to a boil and cook just until the vegetables were crisp-tender--like al dente for veggies.

With timer in hand, I added the shrimp, covered Sofie and let her do her magic for three minutes.  We all gathered around for the unveiling--ta da!  Three minutes, perfect shrimp, pink and just cooked through--I pulled Sofie off the flame and ladled steaming etouffee over mounds of white rice.  A sprinkle of fresh parsley and we met at the table for some serious sensory input...heavenly.  

Etouffee creates the perfect bite:  savory gravy rich in texture and flavor.  The herbs and spices set the stage for the sweet onions and garlic.  The celery and peppers add another layer of flavor that's accented with a good bit of heat,  a perfect setting for sweet succulent shrimp.  The rice is an excellent vehicle for all this flavor because it fills the mouth, adding another texture and allows one to linger over and savor each bite. 

I can hardly wait for lunch, there being just enough etouffee for one big lunch or two small.  I think I will make a really nice sandwich to distract RT--fat chance of that happening if you know my husband.

Shrimp Etouffee

4 T. butter

¼ c. flour

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 c. celery, chopped

2 T. garlic

1 14 oz. can tomatoes, diced

2 bay leaves

1 T. Creole Seasoning

2 c. shrimp stock

1 lb. shrimp

parsley, chopped

Brine the shrimp by combining 1 tsp. of salt and enough water to cover the shrimp in a medium sized bowl.  Stir to dissolve the salt and add the shrimp.  Place in the fridge.

Start the rice.  As soon as your rice begins to boil, begin your etouffee.  It cooks quickly and the two dishes should be ready about the same time.

Make a roux:  melt butter in a large Dutch oven set over med. heat.  Add the flour and stir constantly until it turns the color of peanut butter.  Do not leave your roux!  Do not answer the phone, talk to your mate or become distracted by anyone or anything.  Your roux deserves your undivided attention for the next 5-7 minutes.  Think of it as a meditation.  Just you, melted butter and flour…

The moment it turns the proper caramel color add the onions, pepper, celery and garlic and cook stirring often, 5-10 minutes.  Add the seasoning and stir for 30 seconds, until the fragrance fills the air and then add the bay leaves and tomatoes.  Cook for 2-3 minutes, and add the shrimp stock.

When the vegetables are just tender, drain the shrimp and add to the etouffee.  Cook for 3-5 minutes, just until the shrimp are cooked through.  Serve immediately over white rice garnished with freshly chopped parsley.

Creole Seasoning

2 ½ T. paprika

2 T. garlic powder

1 T. black pepper

1 T. cayenne pepper

1 T. dried oregano

1 T. dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight container.

Use it as a rub for fish and chicken.  Use it in sautés and gumbo.  Excellent rubbed into salmon and dusted onto shrimp to sauté in a little oil or grill.  Even good on freshly popped pop corn. 

Shrimp stock

shrimp shells, rinsed

1 onion, coarsely chopped

½ c. celery, coarsely chopped

1 carrot, coarsely chopped

3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1 bay leaf

1 t. black pepper corns

½ t. thyme

salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large stock-pot and cover with cold water.  Bring to the boil, reduce and simmer for 45 min.  Turn off the heat.  Add salt to taste and strain.  Freeze any unused stock.