Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes From the New York Times - Mark Bittman [62]
2. Add the onion to the fat remaining in the skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 minutes or so. Transfer it to the casserole, add the salt pork or bacon if you’re using it, and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown and crisp, about 5 minutes; transfer to the casserole and drain all but 1 tablespoon of the fat. Turn the heat under the skillet to medium and add the garlic and, 30 seconds later, the prunes. Cook for a minute, stirring once or twice, then add to the casserole.
3. Turn the heat under the skillet to high and add half the wine. Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to release any solid particles there, until the wine is reduced by half. Pour into the casserole along with the remaining wine. Turn the heat under the casserole to high and bring to a boil; stir, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer, stirring once or twice, until the chicken is done, about 30 minutes. Remove the top, stir in the butter if you like, and raise the heat to high; cook until the sauce thickens a bit. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, garnish with parsley, and serve.
CHICKEN CURRY IN A HURRY
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
TIME: 20 MINUTES
THIS DISH IS so fast that you must begin cooking white rice, the natural accompaniment, before even chopping the onion. That’s because it uses preblended curry powder, one of the original convenience foods, a venerable spice rub and all-purpose flavor booster. I like to use it in tandem with a twentieth-century convenience food, the skinless, boneless chicken breast. Even a breast from a good chicken is about as bland as meat can get, and one from the supermarket is not much more flavorful than unsauced pasta. Curry changes that quickly.
1 tablespoon corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil
1 medium onion, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1½ teaspoons curry powder, or to taste
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1 to 1½ pounds)
1 cup sour cream
Minced fresh cilantro or parsley for garnish
1. Put the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion, sprinkle with some salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium, sprinkle with about half the curry powder, and continue to cook for a minute or two.
2. Meanwhile, season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle it with the remaining curry powder. Move the onion to one side of the skillet and add the chicken in one layer. Cook for about 2 minutes per side; transfer to a plate.
3. Add the sour cream and stir constantly over medium-low heat until the mixture is nice and thick. Return the chicken to the skillet and cook for 2 more minutes, turning once. Garnish and serve with plenty of white rice.
VARIATIONS
Chicken Curry with Yogurt
Because yogurt will curdle if it boils, some extra care must be taken here: In step 3, turn the heat to very low and wait a minute before adding the yogurt. Stir the yogurt into the onion and cook, stirring constantly, until the yogurt is hot. Return the chicken to the skillet and cook for 2 more minutes, turning once. At no point should the sauce boil.
• Add nuts (slivered almonds are best), raisins, and/or dried coconut pieces to the onion as it cooks.
• Add a couple of small dried hot red chiles or hot red pepper flakes to taste, along with the onion; add more at the end of cooking if you like.
• Substitute peeled shrimp or thinly sliced beef or pork for the chicken; in each case, cooking time will be marginally shorter.
CHICKEN WITH COCONUT AND LIME
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
TIME: 20 MINUTES
I HAD SOMETHING like this on a visit to Bangkok, chicken with a creamy but