An apology ~ a recipe and chance to win a prize!
SHARING SOME MADHUR LOVE ~ AND A PRIZE
First off I need to make a correction on yesterday’s blog. I referred to my friend Harriet Cabelly as Harriet Acabelly. This was due to the fact that WordPress the system I use was on the blink last nigh. Now I’m not passing the buck, but I did write two full blogs only to have them literally disappear. So by the time the third draft of the same blog was finished, I didn’t know my own name much less Harriet’s. So thank you again Harriet for being such a good friend, a great champion of the cause and a wonderful Tiny Buddha blogger.
I’m really not a food blogger and I seldom make something and then share the recipe. I do follow two food blogs Amanda Hesser’s Food52.com and gothamgal. Gotham Gal is a site I was turned onto my Debbie Stier and I not only follow Joanne Wilson and her escapades around New York and the world, but she cooks a lot and much of it makes me want to cook. Often times it really makes me want to send her an email and ask if she has any leftovers. She is a fun blogger and I’ve met her and she is a fun Gotham Gal.
But since I don’t have anything fancy I cooked tonight and won’t the rest of the week. I am sharing a dish I found in Madhur’s new book. I read it before bed last night and ear marked the Chicken with Apricots.
I’m hoping some of you make it and send me a photo as I won’t get to it for several weeks. In fact the first two people who make it and send me a photo, will have their photo posted and get a copy of Madhur’s new cookbook ~ At Home with Madhur Jaffrey
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 pounds chicken. (I use 8 thighs or drumsticks or a mixture of the two, but a cut up chicken would be fine) That is Madhur talking, I’m hoping if she reads how much I like the sound of this maybe she will make some and I can go over there and eat it! Or maybe Joanne will make it.
Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
3 TBSP canola or olive oil
Two 2-inch cinnamon sticks
12 dried apricots, preferably the nice Turkish ones
1?2 tsp whole cumin seeds
1/2- 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 medium onions, cut into fin half rings
3 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1 TBSP tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon garam masala
THEN
Sprinkle the chicken on all sides with the salt and very generous amounts of pepper. Pat and put aside.
Put the apricots in a small pan with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and gently simmer for about 15 minutes or until apricots have softened. But are firm enough to take another five minutes of cooking. Leave in the cooking liquid.
Pour the oil into a large frying pan or saute` pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, scatter the cinnamon sticks and cumin. Ten seconds later, put half the chikecn pieces and brown them on all sides. Remove to a bowl. Put the remaining chicken pieces in the pan and brown them the same way, then remove them to the bowl. Add the onions to the oil in the pan. Stir a few seconds. Add the tomato paste and stir at once. Now return the chicken and all the accumulated juices to the pan along with 1 1/2 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook gently for 15 minutes, turning the chicken once during this period. Remove cover and add the sugar, vinegar, apricots and their cooking liquid, gram masala, and cayenne. Stir gently and cook on high heat until the sauce is a bit syrupy about five minutes.
Now Madhur says to serve this with a mountain of very fine,crisp potato straws or a mound of rice. Call me crazy but she had me at potato straws. I think the rice would be easier.
