Surprise Me | Curry Dusted Crispy Chicken and Taters

Surprise me!

These are two words that my husband loves to say, when he calls me from work, and I ask him  "What do you want for dinner?"  It's also code for "make me something special" or "I would like to grab some beer and watch the game before dinner." And if you have been married like me for almost 25 years, you know how to read those cryptic messages like clues written in an easy crossword puzzle.

When I hear these words, I dart to my kitchen, and tweak the original plan of what's for dinner.  Just like tonight, I was going to make Chicken Curry, but his statement "surprise me" challenges me to make something "fun".  Something out of the ordinary yet recognizable.

"Hmm  deconstructed chicken curry?"  he infers while nibbling his first bite.

"You recognize the flavors" I triumphantly replied.

And you bet when I saw the tapping of his fingers and nodding of the head... these were clear signals that I succeeded in bringing something new to our dinner table. Enjoy!

Curry Dusted Crispy Chicken and Taters

Ingredients:
6 pcs chicken thigh fillets (you may use chicken breast)

2 medium potatoes, quartered

1 medium carrots, sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

For breading:

1 c flour
salt &pepper
2 tbsp curry powder  (well adjust this according to your preference)
salt and pepper to taste

Season chicken fillets, potatoes and carrots with salt and pepper. Set aside

Fill a large skillet (cast iron is best) about half full with vegetable oil. Heat the oil at 325 degrees F. Meanwhile, roll the chicken pieces into the breading. Shake off excess flour. Drop 5-6 pieces into the hot oil. Make sure there's enough space to stir the chicken. Deep fry it until golden brown. Drain the fried chicken. It should be crispy goden brown.

Repeat the above procedure for the potatoes and carrots.

For the gravy:

1 tbsps. cooking oil
1 cloves of garlic
1 small onions, chopped
1 medium tomatoes, sliced
1/4 c chicken stock
1-2 tbsps curry powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 c coconut milk
1/2 inch ginger/garlic paste


In a pan, saute onions until golden brown.  Add tomatoes  and saute until oil separates. Add ginger-garlic paste and stir.  Spice up using the curry powder; I like to make my curry rich and flavorful so I used around 1 1/2 table spoons.  You may want to add 1 table spoon first and adjust according to your taste. Add coconut milk and let it boil and util ir's reduced. Add coriander leaves. Season with salt. The sauce shoud be thick and creamy.

To add more "fun", I sliced the chicken fillets and skewered them in a bamboo stick.

Pinakbet Experiment: Pinakbet Galette (Vegetable Galette)

I was invited to audit a short pastry class at Kitchen Conservatory a few weeks ago, and since then, I've been wanting to give my pastry making skill a try.  "Cold dough + hot oven = flaky pastry" said Anne, as the chef/owner/instructor's words ran in my head for days.

One of the recipes we made is Caramelized Tomato Tart and the savory tart left an indelible print in my taste buds.  The vinegar in the recipe reminded me of a vegetable stew that is an iconic dish in any Filipino home.  The veggie dish is called pinakbet.

Later that week, a cousin of mine, Erick, shared a pic of Pinakbet Pizza.   And this picture plus the pastry making class gave me an A-HA moment. 

I want to make a Pinakbet Galette, came the idea.  

I played with the flavors of the traditional pinakbet and used it as a filling for a galette.  I selected to make a galette because it's not as intimidating as making a beautiful, but dangerous to make (as in easy to fail), savory pie.  I blame Martha Stewart for making picture perfect pies, now I'm afraid to even try!  But making galettes is fun... as it is more forgiving.  It gives you a free hand on how to form your crust.  

Pinakbet Galette may sound novel, or even bizarre to some.  But before you raise those eyebrows, why not give it a try.  Taste it and tell me how you like or dislike it.  We'll have fun... trying something new.. and make our own take on combining an iconic Filipino vegetable dish with some pastry goodness.

Pinakbet Galette

Pinakbet Galette (Vegetable Galette)

Ingredients;

Crust:
1 1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 stick butter
1 egg
cold water (pour tbsp of water at a time)

Filling
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large onions
3 large tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp butter
1/4 c vinegar
1 tbsp sauteed shrimp paste (bagoong alamang)
1/2 lb ground pork

Topping:
1 large eggplant, thinly sliced
3 pcs. okra thinly sliced
1 large tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/4 medium squash, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
olive oil
salt and pepper

Procedure:
Pre-heat oven for 350 degrees.
Crust:
Mix together the flour, sugar and salt.  Add the butter cubes and mix it together.  Add in the eggs and form a ball.  Pour a little water if the dough is not holding together.  (note: water should be ice cold and pour just a little like a spoonful) Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Filling
In a saute pan, pour olive oil, butter, onions (put them altogether to avoid burning.  The onions and garlic will be cooking while the butter is being melted). Cook for about 5 minutes until the onions become translucent. Add tomatoes.  Cook for about 5 minutes or until the tomatoes become mushy. Add shrimp paste and vinegar.  Add pork and cook for 10 minutes, stirring continuously to avoid burning.  Add olive oil if necessary.  Set aside.

Topping:
Slice all veggies and drizzle olive oil.

Roll out the dough in a slightly flour coated surface.  Form a 12 inch diameter circle. Slowly lift it up and put it on a baking sheet.
Spread half of the filling onto the bottom layer.  Layer it with all the veggies.  Add the remaining filling and layer the remaining veggies. Fold the dough around the filling.  Coat the outer layer with egg wash.  Bake for about 30 minutes or until the dough turns golden brown. Remove from the oven and let it cool.