Sometimes I don't feel like blogging. Really. I don't feel like taking pictures while I am cooking or cooking something new so I have new fodder for this blog. It isn't my style. What IS my style is a mish mash of thoughts flitting through my head and snapshots of the weekend that ramble rather than lead anywhere.
This weekend was a mish mash too. It is the last weekend that Dr. Food and I will be in the same state for a few weeks. Both of us are going off in different directions. Dr. Food for work and me to see my family. I get to see Annie and Tim and PARKER.
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Look at that face!
So back to cooking. We decided to make one of our favorites. I have posted it before but I am not sure if anyone ever saw it. You have to believe me this dish is awesome. It even has salt pork in it. Not that this is anything really big but anytime anyone says "Pork or Bacon" everyone seems to swoon. Not ME mind you.
Pork and I sorta broke up. I will post this recipe again because 1. You need to learn how to cook with a pressure cooker (not like the old ones your mother used to use that were dangerous. They are easy to use now and 2) This dish is still one of my very favorites.
If you make it tell me what you think of it. If you didn't like it don't tell me.
What am I chopped liver? Why yes, yes you are!
Why is there Kale in my chopped liver? Well, that is because we made Indian food and this is a pate which we make pretty often. I love it. I have posted this before too.
Not pretty but if you like pate (chopped liver) you will love this. Ok, you will love this if you love Indian food. We also made Suvir Saran's Mung dall Kee Khicharee (My Grand-Uncle's Khicharee)
This was good too. We also had Vij's Family Chicken Curry but I didn't take a stinkin picture of it.
Saveur Cooks
Authentic French
Pintade au Chou
(Guinea Hen with Cabbage)
(When I went to go get a "Guinea Hen" the man at the meat department
told me that it was no more than a small chicken. I was surprised but
that is what I used)
1 2-1/2-3lb Guinea Hen (like I said, I used a small chicken)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
8 oz lean salt pork diced
2 medium yellow onions peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp butter
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
12 new potatoes
1 medium savoy cabbage, quartered, cored and cut into 1/4" wide strips
1 12oz bottle of lager-style beer
1. Rub chicken inside and out with salt and pepper, then tie legs
together with kitchen string
2. Heat 1 tbsp. of the oil in the bottom of a pressure cooker over
medium heat, add salt pork, and saute until brown and crisp, about 10
min. Remove salt pork with a slotted spoon and set aside. Saute
onions in salt pork fat until soft, about 20 minutes. Remove with a
slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Add butter and remaining 1 tbsp oil to pressure cooker. Add
chicken and brown all over, turning several times, for about 20
minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add salt pork, onions,
carrots, potatoes, and cabbage. Pour beer over chicken and
vegetables. Place lid on pressure cooker, close tightly, and process
according to manufacturer's instructions at a pressure of 10lbs or on
high for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, let stand for 5 minutes, and
carefully open cover.
Curried Chicken Liver Pate
from Vij's Indian Cuisine
1/2C canola oil (I use 1/4C)
1/2 tsp asafoetida
1/2lb red onions, finely chopped
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
1 C pureed tomatoes
1 lb chicken livers, washed
1 1/2 oz Kale leaves, washed and finely chopped
3 Tbsp dry white wine
Heat oil in a medium pot on high for 1 minute. Add asafoetida and cook for 10 seconds. Add onions, reduce heat to medium and saute for 5 to 8 minutes, or until golden to medium brown. Add garam masala, fenugreek, cayenne, turmeric and salt. Stir well, then cook for 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and cook for another 10 minutes, until the oil glistens on top.
Stir in chicken livers and kale leaves and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring gently but regularly. Once chicken livers harden a bit and stop bleeding during the cooking process, they are cooked. Remove from the stove and cool for 45 minutes.
In a food processo, combine the chicken liver mixture and white wine. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a stainless or glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Serve with crackers.
Vij's Family Chicken Curry
1/2 cups canola oil (I used 1/4C)
2 cups finely chopped onions (2 large)
7.5-cm stick of cinnamon
3 tbsp finely chopped garlic
2 cups chopped tomatoes (2 large)
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp tumeric
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground corinader
1 tbsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1.4 kilos chicken thighs, bone in
1 cup sour cream, stirred
2 cups water
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (including stems)
Directions
In a large pan, heat oil on medium heat for one minute. Add onions and cinnamon and saute for five to eight minutes until onions are golden. Add ginger, tomatoes, salt, black pepper, tumeric, cumin, corinader, garam masala, and cayenne. Cook this masala for rive minutes or until the oil separates from the masala.
Remove an discard skin from the chicken thighs. Wash thighs and add to the masala. Stir well. Cook chicken thighs for 10 minutes, until the chicken looks cooked on the outside Add sour cream and water and stir well.
Increase the heat to medium-high. When curry starts to boil, reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring two or three times, until chicken is completely cooked. Poke thighs with a knife. If the meat is still pink, cook for five more minutes.
Remove and discard he cinnamon stick. Cool curry for at least half an hour.
Transfer cooled chicken to a mixing bowl. Wearing latex gloves, peel chicken meat off the bones. Discard bones and stir chicken back into the curry. Just before serving, heat curry on medium heat until it starts to boil lightly.
Stir in cilantro.
Serve with naan or rice, Serves six.
Number of Servings: 6
