pan-fried ginger-garlic chicken breast with cucumber raita

It is a universally accepted truth that everybody loves a bargain. I went to the Red Cross Bazaar today on the hunt for olive oil less than 500 baht. I eventually found the olive oil at the Spanish booth. I had made a shopping list but it soon became clear that opportunity not planning is what determines a successful shopping trip to the Bazaar. It is the one weekend of the year that the diplomatic corps puts on a fair to sell deeply discounted imported foods for the benefit of the Thai Red Cross. Going to one of these fairs expect to shop in air conditioned comfort in an upscale mall in the shopping district. These fairs are crowded with individuals whose discretionary income does not preclude an eye for a bargain. FOMO is palpable in the air. They are snapping up cheap cheese, fruit, and imported wines, but passing up the tsotchkes only tourists would buy.

Dinner was less adventurous but far more satisfying. This recipe is a mash-up adapted from the NY Times and Yotam Ottolenghi. The marinade is originally for four chicken breasts but I find it was enough for two. Because of the herbs and spices the chicken is full of flavor. It tended to be dry so I have reduced the cooking time for two breasts. I like raita but find it to be too sour, so I added a bit of honey, salt, and pepper to round out the flavors.

Ginger-Garlic Chicken Breasts with Cucumber Raita (adapted from NYTimes Cooking and Yotam Ottolenghi)

Servings 2

Marinade for the Chicken:

8 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

3 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon for the pantomime

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon tamarind paste

1/2-teaspoon chili powder

3/4-teaspoon fine salt

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Cucumber Raita

1/2-3/4 Japanese cucumber, sliced thinly

1/4-cup/10g chopped fresh cilantro

1/3-cup plain yogurt, preferably Greek style

1 tablespoon fresh lime or lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1-2 teaspoons honey or to taste, optional

Salt and pepper to taste, optional

Make the raita. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. I like it less sour, so I recommend that you taste and adjust seasoning and sweetness. Refrigerate until ready to eat the chicken.

Make the marinade. In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, ginger, cilantro, lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the coriander, turmeric, tamarind paste, chile powder, and the salt. Mix well.

Scrape the marinade into a zipper lock bag. Add the chicken breasts and massage the marinade into the chicken. Let sit, refrigerated, at least 2 hours or overnight.

Over medium-high heat, warm a 10-inch skillet that has a lid. While it is heating, set the lid aside. When the pan is hot, add the teaspoon oil and swirl it around the pan to coat. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chicken and cook, uncovered, 1 minute on each side until lightly golden. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook 8-10 minutes. Do not uncover the pan. Turn off the heat and let the chicken sit in its juices, covered, 8-10 minutes. Do not uncover the pan. The temperature of the chicken will be a little less than 165˚F because of the time it took to steam in its own juices.

Serve. Slice each chicken breast crosswise. Serve with cucumber raita.

skillet chicken tenders

The holidays are approaching and I’m beginning to worry about my waistline. So out of guilt, I am eating healthy before the indulgences of the holidays cause me more regret. Featured here are chicken tenders adapted from a recipe by Rasa Malaysia. I used clarified butter because it was leftover, not because it was healthier, but there are two recipes resurrected from my healthy eating past when I last dabbled in the Mediterranean Diet. The Italian Seasoning is a blend adapted from Dean Ornish while the mashed cauliflower is from the South Beach Diet cookbook. I added the red rice to finish it, and I’ve been eating baby bok choy lately, with chopped fresh ginger and Shaoxing wine, sprinkled with salt. Next time I will ramp up the herbs by adding fresh rosemary or thyme.

Skillet Chicken Tenders

500g chicken tenders

paprika

red pepper flakes

4 large cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice or lemon juice

A Little Italian seasoning (recipe follows)

4 tablespoons clarified unsalted butter (can use regular unsalted butter)

Scallions for garnish

Lemon slices for serving

Trim the tendon but do not remove it, or the chicken tender may fall apart. Pat the tenders dry. Sprinkle over the paprika and red pepper flakes. Rub into the chicken. Set aside.

Heat a cast-iron skillet. When it is hot, add 3 tablespoons butter, reserving the leftover tablespoon of butter. Spread out the chicken tenders in the skillet, cook on one side for 1 minute over medium heat, then turn, cooking on the second side for another minute. Push the chicken tenders to the edges of the pan where it is cooler. Sprinkle over the Italian Seasoning but do not turn. In the center of the skillet add the remaining tablespoon butter and the garlic. Using a silicone spatula, turn the chicken tenders, being sure to mix in the garlic, spices and the butter. Sprinkle over the lemon/lime juice on top of the chicken. Add slices of lemon to the skillet. Remove the pan from heat. Scatter over the minced scallion.

Recommended sides: mashed cauliflower, brown rice, baby bok choy, salad

A Little Italian Seasoning

2 tablespoons each of:

Dried, marjoram, oregano, coriander, thyme, rosemary and sage

Other add-ins:

red pepper flakes to taste

1 teaspoon fennel seed

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Store, covered, in an airtight jar or canister.

marry me chicken!

This is Somebody Feed Phil’s favorite exclamation to the cook on eating something delicious: “Marry me!” This dish is deserving of the accolade; the sauce has a complex layered flavor. The first taste is of the tomato, then the smoothness and slight sweetness of cream, the tang of Parmesan cheese, and the saltiness of oven-dried tomatoes. I’m glad I increased the tomato paste and the oregano, but reduced the chopped dried tomatoes as they were salty. I couldn’t taste the bite of red chili flakes so I would ramp it up next time. And there will be a next time.

Marry Me Chicken (adapted from NY Times Cooking)

Time: 1 hour from prep to table

Yield: 3-6 servings

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1-2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 cup low-salt chicken broth or stock (I used 1/2-mushroom bouillon cube)

1/2-cup heavy cream plus up to 1/4-cup more, as needed

1/2-cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4-cup oven-dried tomatoes in oil, coarsely chopped (that’s what I had on hand; the original recipe says to use sun-dried tomatoes), plus more if needed

Prepare the chicken. Starting from the thick end, slice the chicken breast in half horizontally, keeping your fingers up and away from the knife blade. You will end up with two cutlets. Repeat with the other two chicken breasts. Now you will have 6 cutlets. Season both sides of each cutlet with salt and pepper, sprinkling pinches of it from about 8-inches about the cutlet.

Sprinkle the flour in a pie plate and lightly coat each cutlet, shaking off the excess flour. Place the floured cutlets in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper.

Cook the chicken cutlets. Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot but not too hot, reduce heat to medium and add the butter. It will sputter if the oil is too hot. As the butter melts, add the cutlets and cook until golden on one side, about 3-4 minutes. Turn and cook on the second side another 3-4 minutes. Add more oil if needed. Transfer cutlets to the baking tray lined with paper towels.

Make the sauce. Reduce the heat to low and cook the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste, stirring to combine, about 2 minutes. Add the oregano and red pepper flakes to taste. Increase heat to medium, add the stock or broth, and let the mixture come to a simmer. Scrape up the fond or browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Cook until the liquid in the pan thickens and is reduced by half, about 4-5 minutes.

Add 1/2- cup of cream to start until it is warmed through. If more sauce is needed, add an additional 1/4 cup of cream. Stir until the cream is incorporated and the sauce thickens. Keep the sauce on a very low simmer. Do not boil. Stir in the Parmesan and the chopped oven-dried/sun-dried tomatoes. Taste the sauce. It should be creamy and tomato-ey. Add more chopped dried tomato if needed. No additional salt is needed. Return the chicken to the sauce and cover the pan to warm the cutlets, about 4 minutes. Spoon sauce over the cutlets. Serve immediately.

Serving Suggestion: mashed cauliflower, kale chips, and fresh tomato chunks.

simple roast chicken

On the website Epicurious, Thomas Keller calls this recipe “My Favorite Simple Roast Chicken.” It is now mine also. The chicken must be thoroughly dry both inside and outside in order for the skin to crisp up in the oven. I defrosted the unwrapped chicken in the refrigerator overnight then blotted it dry with paper towels in the morning. Defrosting the chicken in the refrigerator this way also helps to dry out the skin. However, to prevent unsightly “fridge burn” I covered the bird with a damp kitchen cloth. Once the chicken is dry, liberally sprinkle the chicken with salt and freshly ground black pepper; truss it and pop it in a 450˚F/230˚C oven for about 40 minutes for a two-pound chicken and up to 1 hour for a three-pounder.(Or to be scientific about it, 20 minutes per pound.) The chicken came out juicy with a beautifully crisp brown skin. I served it with a big salad, and two Thai dipping sauces for chicken, one of them was a soy-based sauce from Leela Punyaratanabandhu’s cookbook Bangkok, and the other came from a bottle, the ubiquitous sweet-tart chicken chili sauce that also goes down so well with deep-fried spring rolls.