Country Captain Chicken

I own a well used copy of The New York Times Cookbook dated 1961. It includes a recipe for Country Captain, a vaguely Indian chicken preparation. The name and dish seemed very exotic at the time. The March issue of Bon Appetit includes an updated version. Instead of 1 1/2 teaspoons of curry powder, a mix of Indian spices is roasted and ground. I was eager to try it but changed the vegetables used to ones I had on hand. Shitake mushrooms may not be very Indian but they taste delicious. I also simplified things by reducing the number of browning steps and eliminating some ingredients. Even if you don't have all the spices called for or prefer spices that are already ground, please do try the dish. It keeps wonderfully, providing a few days of Country Captain eating. Brown basmati rice is a perfect accompaniment.

Spice Mixture:

1 1/2 tsp. coriander seeds

1 tsp. fennel seeds

1 tsp. cumin seeds

1/2 tsp. whole black peppercorns

3 whole cloves

1/4 tsp. cardamom seeds (from 3 whole green cardamom pods)

1 1/2 inch piece cinnamon stick

1/2 tsp. turmeric

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Chicken:

2 tbl. peanut or vegetable oil

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2 inch pieces

Salt, to taste

28 oz. can crushed tomatoes with added puree

1/3 cup dried cherries, finely chopped

1 tbl. smooth peanut butter

1 bunch carrots, scraped and sliced

1/2 lb. shitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced

For spice mixture:

Place coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, cloves, cardamom seeds and cinnamon stick in small dry skillet. Stir over medium heat until fragrant and slightly darker in color, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; cool. Finely grind spices in spice mill or in mortar with pestle. Transfer to small bowl and add turmeric and cayenne.

For chicken:

Heat oil in heavy large deep pot over medium high heat. Add onion, ginger and garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add ground spice mixture and stir for 15 seconds. Add chicken pieces, sprinkle with salt and saute until chicken is lightly browned on all sides and coated with spice vegetable mixture. Add crushed tomatoes, bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer, covered for 5 minutes. Stir in dried cherries and peanut butter. Add carrots and mushrooms. Return pot to boiling, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 6

Turkey Chili Take Two

Here is another version of turkey chili (see 1/10/10 posting) that makes a warming winter meal. I adapted a recipe in Melissa Clark's New York Times column, A Good Appetite, which was too meaty for my taste. I used the same seasonings and basic ingredients but reduced the amount of turkey and added a variety of veggies. I loved the result. This recipe makes lots of chili. If you don't have 8-10 people coming over for dinner, the chili keeps and freezes well.

2 tbl. olive oil

1 lb. ground turkey

salt and pepper to taste

4 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tbl. chili powder

1 large Spanish onion, chopped

2 red peppers, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

3/4 lb. calabaza winter squash, peeled and cut into small chunks

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)

1 28 oz. can tomato puree

1 15 oz. can white hominy, drained

2 15 oz. cans pinto beans, drained

1 12 oz. bottle beer

2-3 chipotles in adobo sauce, to taste, minced

1 tsp. dried oregano

2 bay leaves

sour cream or non-fat Greek style yogurt, for serving

5 scallions, white and light green parts, sliced, for serving

1 bunch chopped cilantro, for serving

Lime wedges, for serving

In a large pot over medium-high heat, warm 1 tbl oil. Brown the ground turkey with salt and peer, stirring occasionally until golden, 6-8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and chili powder. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the turkey to a bowl.

Add remaining tbl. oil to pot and saute onions, peppers, carrots, calabaza and optional jalapeno with salt to taste. Cook, stirring, until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.

Return turkey and any liquid in bowl to pot and add tomato puree, hominy, beans, beer, chipotles, oregano and bay leaves. Simmer chili, partly covered, until it is thick enough for your taste, about 1 hour. Serve hot, garnished with sour cream or yogurt, scallions, cilantro and lime wedges.

Serves 8-10

Notes:I did not have scallions, cilantro or lime wedges. I'm sure that they would add more flavor but the chili was still terrific without these ingredients.

If you don't care for hominy, leave it out. If adding beer isn't appealing, don't add it.

I use canned chipotles packed in adobo sauce. I puree a whole can at a time in the food processor, put it in a small plastic container and refrigerate. It keeps for a very long time. I got this tip from Annie Somerville, author of Fields of Greens. For this recipe, I used 1 tsp. and could have doubled that amount to add more smoky flavor.

Oatmeal Coconut Raspberry Bars

I made these bar cookies as a way to use some of the coconut I inadvertently stockpiled in my kitchen. But the cookies are so delicious that I would go out and buy some more coconut to make them again. They are buttery, crumbly, addictive and easy to make. The recipe was published in the February 2002 issue of Gourmet magazine. Since I used strawberry jam instead of raspberry, I guess I should call them Oatmeal Coconut Strawberry bars. Whatever you call them, they are delicious.

1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

1 1/4 cups flour

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

3/4- 1 cup seedless raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spread 3/4 cup coconut evenly on a baking sheet and toast in middle of oven, stirring once, until golden, about 8 minutes, then cool.

Blend together flour, sugars, and salt in a food processor. then add butter and blend until dough begins to form. Transfer to a bowl and knead in oats and the 3/4 cup of toasted coconut until combined well.

Reserve 3/4 cup dough and press remainder evenly into bottom of a buttered 13 by 9 inch metal baking pan and spread jam over it. Crumble reserved dough evenly over jam, then sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup (untoasted) coconut.

Bake in middle of oven until golden, 20-25 minutes, then cool completely in pan on a rack. Loosen from sides of pan with a sharp knife, then lift out in 1 piece and transfer to a cutting board.

Cut into 24 bars.

The bars can be made 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container. They can also be frozen.

Meyer Lemon Marmalade

I was introduced to Meyer lemons by my friend Barbara who lives in Berkeley. Barbara is fortunate to have a Meyer lemon tree in her backyard and she sent me some of her crop through the mail. The taste is like nothing you have ever experienced before. It is ethereal.

My local fancy food store, Union Market, now sells Meyer lemons at this time of the year. One of my favorite things to do with the lemons is to make marmalade. This is a two step process as the lemons soak for 24 hours before they are cooked. I follow the recipe in The Gourmet Cookbook. It may sound a little overwhelming but it is really not a difficult recipe. Just take things step by step and it will all work out. The pleasure of having this heavenly marmalade is worth the time and trouble. The recipe makes 6 1/2 pint jars of marmalade, for hoarding and/or giving away to special people.

1 1/2 pounds Meyer lemons

4 cups water

4 cups sugar

Halve lemons crosswise and remove seeds, reserving them (they provide pectin). Tie seeds in a cheesecloth bag. Quarter each lemon half and thinly slice crosswise. Combine lemons with bag of seeds and water in pot and let stand, covered, at room temperature for 24 hours.

Sterilize jars and lids and wash screw bands.

Chill two small plates for testing the marmalade. Bring lemon mixture to a boil over moderate heat. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until reduced to about 4 cups, about 45 minutes.

Stir in sugar and boil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally and skimming off any foam, until marmalade tests done, about 15 minutes: Begin testing for doneness at 10 minutes; remove pot from heat while testing. Drop a spoonful of marmalade onto a chilled plate and refrigerate for one minute, then tilt plate; marmalade should remain in a mound and not run. If not ready, put pot back on heat and test again at 15 minutes.

Drain 1/2 pint jars on a clean kitchen towel for 1 minute, then invert. Ladle hot marmalade into jar, leaving 1/4 inch space at top, then run a thin knife between the marmalade and sides of jars to eliminate air bubbles; discard cheesecloth bag.

Seal, process jars for 10 minutes, remove them from water and cool filled jars. Let marmalade stand for at least one day to allow flavors to develop.

Notes: If you have never processed jams before, please consult a basic cookbook on how to sterilize jars and process the filled jars. If you have a jar that is partially full, do not process it. Cover it with the lid and screw band and refrigerate. Use this jar first.

Lee, who has been making jams for years, keeps her jars in the freezer until she is ready to use them. I have started to do this too so that I can stop worrying about whether I processed the jam successfully.