Ultimate Cook Book_ 900 New Recipes, Thousands of Ideas - Bruce Weinstein [180]
Whisk the remaining 1½ cups flour in a large bowl with the baking soda, dry mustard, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, sour cream, melted butter, and chopped chives.
Stir the milk mixture into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until a sticky dough forms. Spoon this dough in heaping tablespoonfuls into mounds on top of the hot chicken mixture in the pan.
Bake, uncovered, until the biscuit topping browns and the chicken filling is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving.
Variations: Substitute 1 medium potato, peeled and cut into small cubes, or 1 medium turnip, peeled and cut into small cubes, for the celery.
Reduce the boneless skinless thighs to ½ pound and add ¾ pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½-inch cubes, with the remaining thigh meat.
Omit the cream and increase the broth to 11/3 cups. Also reduce the Dijon mustard to 1½ teaspoons.
Burmese-Inspired Chicken and
Yellow Lentil Curry
Burmese curries are often made with yellow lentils, related to chickpeas and sold as “chana dal” in East Asian markets and high-end markets. Serve with flat breads like na’an, lefse, lavash, or flour tortillas, as well as with chopped seeded cucumber, chopped peeled mango, and Apple-Cucumber Raita or even Tzatziki for condiments. Makes 6 servings
1½ cups chana dal, or yellow lentils, picked over for stones and rinsed
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of any visible fat
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cups chicken broth, or more as necessary
Chopped parsley or cilantro leaves as garnish
Place the lentils in a large pot, cover them with cool water to a depth of 2 inches, and set the pot over high heat. Bring to a slow boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer slowly, stirring once in a while, until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain in a fine-mesh colander set in the sink; set aside.
Whisk the cumin, paprika, turmeric, lemon zest, salt, nutmeg, pepper, and cloves in a small bowl. Add the chicken thighs and toss to coat.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the canola oil, then the onion. Cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add the chicken and any spice mixture remaining in the bowl. Cook until lightly browned, stirring almost constantly so the spices don’t burn, about 2 minutes.
Pour in the broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
Stir in the cooked lentils and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the chicken is quite tender and the lentils are a little soft, stirring once in a while to make sure the lentils are not scorching, about 30 minutes. (If they do begin to stick, add more broth to the pan.) Garnish with parsley or cilantro.
Garlic-Roasted Drumsticks
To serve, spoon the drumsticks into individual bowls, then ladle the soupy vegetables and garlic cloves around them. As you eat the dish, squeeze the garlic cloves out of their husks onto crusty bread, spreading the garlic like butter. The drumsticks’ skin should be removed because it will never get crispy in this covered casserole. Makes 6 servings
2 medium onions, chopped
4 celery ribs, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 large sweet potato, peeled and dried into very small, ½-inch pieces
2 medium garlic heads, broken into individual cloves but not peeled
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons minced parsley leaves
2 teaspoons stemmed thyme