Sunday, November 04, 2007

Curry, Improved Upon

I was going to be so scientific. Hypothesis, experiment, analysis, new hypothesis, new experiment, conclusion. Well. I got most of the way there, and then my second experiment was a little more experimental than I expected. But the results were happy, if not suitable for peer review. Now, I can comfortably say that not only do I expect this recipe to work as written (probably), I can assure you that if you add an unexpected two hours on the "keep warm" setting at the end of the total crockpot time, and dash in the door at an hour you thought would be well into the post-dinner period, just pick up with the recipe as if it were all going to plan, and it will still work (definitely). Good old crock.

Crock Pot Thai Chicken Curry

4 chicken thighs with bones and skin (skin optional. I couldn't find any skinless with bones )
5 carrots, chunked (2 cups)
5 small potatoes, chunked (3 cups)
2 small onions, chunked (2 cups)
1 can coconut milk
10 very thin slices ginger (ginger doesn't break down as much as you'd think in the crock)
8 whole garlic cloves

Mix up seasonings in a bowl:
3 T green curry paste
1/4 c fish sauce
1 T sugar
2T flour
a frozen pepper puck

Mix up seasonings, and set them aside for later. Put vegetables and coconut milk in crock pot. Lay the chicken on top and set it for 5 hours on low. After 4.5 hours, come home. Start the rice cooker and turn the crock pot to high. Lift out chicken and scoop out veg with a slotted spoon. Heat up the bowl of seasoning mix in the microwave. Mix it into the curry. Microwave the veg to get them hot again and put them back in, and cover. If you want, mix some freshly steamed or nuked vegetables into the curry (scallions, peppers, green beans, peas, broccoli, asparagus, etc). Debone and de-skin and de-knuckle the chicken, and cut it across the grain (so you don't get long straggly stringy chicken wads). Lay the chopped chicken on the curry. Mix gently and serve with rice.

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