I know that chicken is used in lots of curries but this recipe is about getting the maximum chicken flavour into the dish.
This is done by pre-roasting and leaving the meat to mature on the bone and by making real chicken stock and using the rendered chicken fat.
It may sound like a lot of work but it isn’t really as most of the steps just take a few minutes to prepare and then just need time to cook.
Ingredients – Serves 6
- 2 x Whole Medium chickens
- 3 tsp Curry Powder
- 1 tsp Turmeric powder
- Chilli Powder – To Taste
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp sizzling seeds (equal parts whole cumin, fennel, coriander, brown mustard)
- 2 Whole Star Anise
- 2 Green Cardamoms
- 1 Black Cardamom
- 2 TBSP Tomato Puree
- 8 Tbsp Rapeseed Oil
- 2 Carrots peeled and sliced
- 2 Sticks Celery roughly chopped and bruised
- 1 Large Onion roughly chopped for the stock.
- 1 Large onion finely diced
- 3 Large onions – sliced and slowly cooked in rapeseed or sunflower oil until golden brown
- 1 Tbsp chopped garlic
- 1 Tbsp Grated ginger
- Optional Chopped Fresh Chillies
Method
Roast the chickens in a hot oven until cooked and golden. Allow to cool and leave the meat on the bone for 2 days for the flavours to mature in a refrigerator.
Remove the skin and meat from the chicken the day before you make the curry. Chop the meat both dark and breast into bite size pieces and cover and return to the fridge.
Put all of the bones, and skin and any bits left of the chicken in a slow cooker with the roughly chopped onion, carrots and celery and cover with water and bring up to the boil then simmer for two hours.
Drain the stock into a saucepan and boil on the hob until the volume is reduced by half. Now pour into a jug and leave in the fridge once cooled.
Skim the cold chicken fat off the top of the stock and put it in the cooking pan and just add extra oil if you need more to prevent sticking and burning. Avoid getting any of the stock liquid in this pan as it will start to spit.
Now bring up to a high heat and add the sizzling seeds and whole spices. Once they start popping add the finely chopped onion, sliced golden onions, garlic, and ginger. This will reduce the heat but you may also need to turn it down a little now to prevent burning.
Cook until the fresh onions are browning then add the turmeric, curry powder and chilli powder and chillies if using any, stir in well and add the chicken stock. Cook on a high heat and reduce the liquid by half again.
Now add the chicken meat and warm through thoroughly. Stir in the garam masala, cinnamon, ground cloves and allspice with two TBSP tomato puree.
Stir in well and simmer for 5 minutes before serving.
Taste and season with salt if needed.
Gavin McArdell www.curryfrenzy.com
