Chicken Curry(the whatever'sinthekitchen version)

Hi-ho there strangers. This is a second attempt at what was once the greatest debut Seatfood blog post in the (albeit brief) history of the blogosphere. Once upon about a month ago Kribs sat at his computer, in his comfy green chair, having just supped upon a lovely, lovingly improvised Chicken Curry dinner, which he and his loving girlfriend had made that very evening. Rather than his usual Internet diversions, Kribs thought to himself "Kribs, you lazy sack, write it up for the foodblog before you forget what you put in it!" Knowing good sense when he heard it, Kribs set to the task of composing a deliciously clever write-up of his cleverly delicious meal. Long story short ("too late" you say?, "fuck you" I say"), I wrote it, lost it, swore, slammed my laptop shut, and never thought about it again.

Along comes Saturday afternoon, the little lady is darning some sweaters, Bruce is covering Woody on the turntable, and I felt like writing something.

This, like all good dishes, is a meal in which just about all of the ingredients can be substituted for whatever you have lying around the pantry or for whatever your dietary preferences may be. I, unlike certain other members of this posting community, am not a vegetarian, so I threw some bird in there, but there's no reason not to do it with Tofu if that suits your fancy.

{+} Chicken Curry

Chicken Curry
For Two (or Four if you don't know how to eat)

Two boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt
Pepper
Tony's Cajun Seasoning
2 Tsp Curry Powder
Cayenne Pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
A couple carrots, coined
A tomato or 2, chopped
A Chili pepper of some kind, diced
1 pint Vegetable Broth
Some Oil
A little flour or cornstarch

The first thing you do, after rinsing off and patting dry the chicken, is beat it up a little bit, either with a frying pan or, if you're a purist, a mallet. Try to get the breast about an inch thick or so, just so it cooks nice and even (and a little quicker). Next, on a plate, sprinkle some flour (or cornstarch) and add most of your seasonings, this means pepper for sure, Tony's because it's a wonderful shortcut to flavor, salt, a little bit of your curry powder, some cayenne (all of this depends on how spicy you like your curry). Drop a chicken breast on this plate, so both sides are evenly coated in your rub, then do the same to the other breast, replenishing what's on your plate if necessary.

I started cooking this meal the way I believe every meal cooked in a frying pan (with the possible exception of pancakes) ought to start: enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan pretty liberally, and your chopped garlic, on medium heat. If you're gonna add onions and chili peppers (never a bad idea with curries) this is a good time to throw them in too. Let your garlic get gold and add your carrots and any other firm veggies (cauliflower, broccoli, peas, scallions, bell peppers are all great ideas) and the vegetable broth and curry powder. If you like a thicker sauce, you should leave this uncovered and let it reduce a little, or to shortcut add some cornstarch. we did neither. Throw the chicken in, up the heat, cover, and cook till the chicken is cooked through (10 min, maybe a little more), and add your tomatoes for the finish.

We served it over Basmati, not for any particular drive at authenticity but because, going with the theme here, it was what was lying around.

Anyway, Tofu for chicken makes this vegetarian, Cauliflower or Potatoes makes it a little heartier, an extra chili makes it a little spicier, and coconut milk makes it a good deal thicker. No pictures, because I don't have a DSLR and a 700,00 Watt bulb above my kitchen table, so they didn't come out so good.

love,
Kribs