Indian Recipes? Chicken Curry? Chicken Vindaloo!

Chicken Curry: Chicken Vindaloo

 

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Have you ever had Chicken Vindaloo? I have never had Chicken Vindaloo either until this last week! Now it is one of my favorite Indian recipes to make!  It is a delicious chicken curry that fills the senses with aromas and the taste buds with flavors! If you like layers of flavor in the foods you eat then Indian recipes are the way to go!  About two weeks ago I made a recipe called Fresh Spring Onion Pesto for a pasta dish I was doing for this blog. One of my readers and fellow foodies is a guy named Sean and he has a Youtube channel called Seans food. Sean and I are pretty friendly and we communicate often. I respect his cooking ability and dishes and vice verse!

He had left a comment on the dish and said something along the line of "There you go again Rich, another recipe packed with flavor! I bet you like curries don't you? Have you ever had any Indian recipes? Do you know what  Chicken Vindaloo is?" I told him that I do love curry recipes although I have not made very many of them. So then he came back and said I should try to make a chicken curry recipe called Chicken Vindaloo! This is one of manyIndian recipes popular in England where my friend Sean come from. In fact he tells me that Indian recipes are amongst the most popular foods to eat in all of England and that the image of fish and chips is not really how it is at all!

I asked him what kind of chicken curry dish Chicken Vindaloo was and he explained that it was the popular dish eaten by the lads after a hard night of drinking and partying. Well, I was all in for that! I have had many nights of hard partying and some busted up mornings as well in my lifetime so as far as Chicken Vindaloo is concerned I was all in!

So I took it upon myself to do some research on Indian recipes with a focus on Chicken Vindaloo. I come to find that Chicken Vindaloo is not a chicken curry dish that is native to Indian recipes at all. Chicken Vindaloo is a dish that currently hails from Goa and in the part of India where meat is eaten it is a staple of Indian recipes.

I thought it was an interesting fact that the word Vindaloo in Chicken Vindaloo comes from the Portugese language called "Carne de Vinha d' Alhos". This traditional variation of Chicken Vindaloo was made of pork with wine and garlic and that was it!  Over time this dish became an Indian recipe that became the chicken curry dish we call Chicken Vindaloo today!

The dish was changed over time with the addition of vinegar and the subtraction of wine. Also The addition of multiple spices and of course chili pepper for the heat! Traditonally, Chicken Vindaloo is not served with potatoes. Potatoes are something that was added to this chicken curry dish in modern times. The potatoes are used as a thickener and yield enhancer to increase the volume of the dish for sale in restaurants.

So this past week I took it upon myself to learn how to make Chicken Vindaloo! I must say that this is the best chicken curry dish that I have ever had! So please sit back and relax and watch the video. If you are not familiar with Indian recipes and even if you are then you will love this Chicken Vindaloo made my way! Watch and enjoy!



Ingredients For Marinating Process
2 Lbs Chicken thighs cut into chunks.
2 Cups slivered onions.
4 to 8 whole chilies or the equivalent amount in crushed red chilies it all depends on how HOT you like your vindaloo.
4 to 6 cloves of garlic.
1 or 2 Inch piece of ginger peeled and sliced up a bit for processing.
3 Tbsp onion confit. If you don't have any just puree about half a medium onion to put into marinade.
1/4 to 1/2 Cup of White wine vinegar or sherry vinegar for the marinade.
Light squeeze of lemon juice.

Ingredients For Dry Spice Mix:
1 Tsp. Garam Masala.
1 Tsp. Paprika. Not smoked or sweet paprika. Regular paprika. It is used for some color not flavor.
1 Tsp Ground cloves.
3/4 Tsp. Ground Cardamon.
1 1/4 Tsp. Cinnamon.
1/2 Tbsp. Freshly crushed black pepper.
1 1/2 Tbsp. Cumin.
1 Tsp Coriander.
1 1/4 Tsp. Mustard Seeds
3 Tbsp. Honey
4 Tbsp. Olive oil or Ghee.

Method:
1. Take your chilies or crushed chilies, garlic, and ginger and put it into your white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar stir it up well then squeeze some fresh lemon juice into it and let sit for about an hour.

2. After the marinade sits for one hour you can either pour it over your cut up chicken thighs or you can do what I did which was to place the marinade in a food processor and blend it up and then pour it over your cut up chicken things and allow to marinate for minimum of one hour in the refrigerator. I let my chicken marinate for four hours to really suck up those flavors from the marinade! Yum!

3. Now for the dry spice mix take your clove powder, cumin, cardamon, paprika, cinnamon, black pepper, garam masala, and coriander and put them in a bowl and mix them up completely with a whisk!

4. Now after your dry spice mix(your curry is made) Make some simple white rice with some salt and black pepper and put it aside when it is finished. Your Chicken Vindaloo will go on top of the rice.

5. Get a large skillet I like using an All Clad Non-Stick skillet that I love and heat your oil or ghee in it and add your mustard seeds to the skillet. Eventually the seeds will start to pop like popcorn. Once this happens add your slivered onions and and touch of salt and sweat the onions down til you get some browning to them.

6. Once the onions are golden brown it's time to add your marinated chicken using all the juices that accumulated with it and stir it about the skillet for a few minutes getting the chicken and the onions mixed well.

7. Add your dry spice mixture and a pinch of salt and mix the curry into the chicken and onions well. Cook in open skillet for about three minutes continually mixing then add your honey and stir it in then cover the skillet with it's lid and simmer the Chicken Vindaloo

8. Let the Chicken Vindaloo simmer in the skillet until the chicken is done and the curry it is cooking in is nice and thick! Don't forget to stir the vindaloo every so often.

9. Prepare plates or bowls with your rice and then just spoon the Chicken Vindaloo over the rice and serve!
Enjoy!

Braciole Recipe: Flank Steak Made The Italian Way! A Godfather's Dish!

Flank Steak: Braciole Recipe

 

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The Braciola! A classic Italian/Sicilian dish! The dish of the Godfather! I love Braciola! If you are making more than one Braciola flank steak then it is called Braciole in the plural. Where I come from in New York, we just call it Braciole no matter how many we are making. Flank steak recipes come from all over the world, the roulade from France, and the rolladen from Germany for instance. In the long run the Braciole recipe of Italy is my favorite flank steak recipe.

The simple Italian Braciole recipe is made by pan searing thin beef slices or flank steak in some olive oil in a skillet or saute pan and then serving it with a simple salad or boiled or roasted potatoes. This is the very basic Italian rustic Braciole recipe. In the American Italian culture in the U.S.A. Braciole is still the name given to this flank steak recipe. This Braciole recipe is also made with chicken, pork, beef and it is even prepared with swordfish. These meats and fish are then rolled up with breadcrumbs, cheese, herbs and spices and then seared in a cast iron skillet. The Braciole recipe the classic flank steak recipe of Italy is also made in Sicily and is called Bruciuluni, Involtini or Rollatini. The name Rollatini is a regional name in parts of the United States but it not a true Italian word. Rollatini is most often made just using flank steak and does not get involved in using chicken or pork to make it.

The Braciole recipe is generally cooked with other meats or sausages in a sauce or ragu. In certain parts of the east coast we call the Braciole recipe a "Sunday Gravy". The Braciole recipe can be made outside of tomato sauce and coated in flour and breadcrumbs and pan seared and then roasted in the oven eggplant and other vegetables. There is no clear cut died in the wool way to make a Braciole recipe. A Braciole recipe can be eaten as either a main course with pasta which is the way I like to do it or it can be served as a side dish. My Mom says it's great for breakfast and yes if you are thinking about it a good Braciole recipe makes a killer sandwich for lunch!

In Italy Involtini is the name given to the Braciole recipe that we make here in the states. Involtini are thin slices of beef most of the time although chicken or pork can be used and they are stuffed full of cheese and egg, sausage, mushrooms and hot red pepper flakes for the heat which is the way the Sicilians like it. Other ingredients like pignoli or pine nuts and spinach or arugula are used as well. Involtini is the name given to multiple Involtinos and they are kept together with toothpicks and cooked in and served in the desired sauce of the day whether that sauce is a red or white sauce. The Involtini or Braciole recipe gives fantastic flavor to the sauce and then that sauce is used to toss the nights pasta!

As a kid I ate my mom's Braciole recipe for years. In my house my mom made her Braciole recipe using flank steak and stuffed it with any number of things and it was always delicious!  I felt that I would like to make my own Braciole recipe for my readers and viewers of my blog. Enjoy the video!



Ingredients For Sauce Step One For This Recipe:

I used 2 cartons of Pomi Brand Roma Tomatoes 1 carton strained and 1 carton chopped plus one 14.5oz stewed/sliced italian Roma tomatoes.

8 Cloves of garlic minced.

2 Tbsp of my homemade onion confit. You can use 1/2 to 1 whole onion finely chopped.

1 small piece of bacon or pork shoulder or pork based sausage to contrast the flavor of the beef and slow down the sauce sticking to the sides of the sauce pot.

2 Tbsp. dried Greek oregano bulbs or more to taste.

2 Tbsp. dried basil or more to taste.

1 Tsp. red pepper flakes for flavor and not heat.

2 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil.

1 Tsp. Salt.

2 Tbsp. Sugar or honey to cut the acid from the tomatoes. I used honey. (see video)

Method For Making The Sauce:

1. Pour all of your tomatoes into your sauce pot and then bring to a boil. Once at a boil bring to a simmer.

2. Add all of the other ingredients one at a time and stir them into the sauce well before adding the next ingredient.

3. Allow this sauce to simmer for at least 30 minutes. At end of 30 minutes stir the sauce and allow to keep simmering and while it continues to simmer go make your Braciole.

NOTE: You will need to have some artichoke hearts for searing for this dish. I use prepared hearts in a jar with water but you can use the one's in oil if you wish and frozen will work just as well.

Ingredients For Braciole:

2 1/2 Lbs minimum piece of flank steak. (flank steak is fairly tender but I use a meat mallet and gently use the flat side of the mallet on the steak first to flatten it out a bit more and then I use the textured side of the mallet gently all over the steak to break up any connective tissue and allow the meat to get really tender from the simmering.)

Olive oil to coat the meat.

Enough fresh or dried basil to cover the flank.

Enough fresh or dried oregano to cover the flank.

A sprinkle of granulated garlic just enough to cover the meat.

A pinch of red pepper flakes. Just enough for flavor and not high amounts of heat.

Any kind of Italian cheese to cover the meat. Generally about a cup or 2.

2-3 Scrambled eggs scrambled loosely. They will tighten up in the simmering.

Thinly sliced ham of any kind. Enough to cover the flank steak.

Enough white flour to coat the rolled up flank steak for searing in the skillet.

4 or 5 toothpicks to hold the flank steak together while you tie up the Braciole.

1 Cup of red wine to deglaze the skillet used for searing the Braciole.

2 or more Tbsp. of Onion Confit. (Recipe for Onion Confit @ bottom of blog post)

NOTE: A Braciole can be stuffed with many different items. You don't have to use the ingredients I used. You can use sausage, prosciutto, chicken, lamb, veal, eggplant and even seafood! There are so many ways to make this dish it is really incredible!

Method For Making The Braciole:

1. Lay the flank steak out on a synthetic cutting board.

2. Pour some olive oil on the flank steak and rub it into the surface of the meat. This will help with the tenderness.

3. 2 to Tbsp Onion Confit.

4. Now use enough fresh or dried basil to cover the surface of the Braciole.

5. Now use enough oregano to cover the surface of the flank steak thinly, don't bury the meat in it.

6. A pinch of salt and pepper to taste.

7. A sprinkle of granulated garlic to cover the flank steak. You can use fresh garlic if you want depending on how much fresh garlic you put in your tomato sauce because you don't want to overpower you sauce with the taste of garlic.

8. A pinch of red pepper flakes. Just a pinch as we only want the flavor and not overpower the flank steak with the heat of the pepper.

9. Now cover the surface of the Braciole recipe with the Italian cheese of your choice.

10. Add your thinly sliced ham or meat of your choice to the surface of the flank steak. (This is my fave part of the Braciole recipe!)

11. Add your scrambled eggs to the flank steak horizontally about one inch from bottom of the flank steak so it will roll easier.

12. Now it is time to roll the Braciole recipe up. Grab the bottom one inch of flank steak and fold it over the scrambled eggs as if you were rolling sushi. Roll up the meat tightly all the way to the end.

13. Once the meat is rolled up use your toothpicks to hold the final flap of flank steak down against the roll.

14. Now that the roll is held in place with the pick get your string and tie up the Braciole recipe. Tie it firm but don't strangle the meat or end up cutting it with the string.

NOTE: Now that the Braciole is rolled up coat it in white flour and then sear the Braciole in a skillet with olive oil. Once all sides of the Braciole have been seared in the skillet and you have all those little brown bits of flavor in the pan remove the Braciole and gently put it in the sauce pot to simmer for a minimum of one hour. If you want the Braciole to really get tender simmer for two or more hours and if necessary add little amounts of beef stock to the sauce in case it is reducing to much. After about sixty minutes deglaze your skillet with the red wine and pour that into your sauce for that little extra flavor boost! It will make your sauce DELICIOUS!

About fifteen minutes before the Braciole is ready to be served cook your pasta. I used Linguine. Also sear your artichoke hearts in olive oil and salt and pepper about five minutes before serving the dish. Then remove Braciole from sauce and slice on a board. Plate some pasta and pour sauce over the pasta and then add one or two slices of the Braciole to the sauce.( the slices should be at least one inch thick minimum)Then add your artichoke hearts and serve. Enjoy!

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Pesto Recipe: Fresh Spring Onion Pesto

Pesto Recipe

 

Pesto has got to be my favorite pasta sauce. There are so many varieties of Pesto it can boggle the mind! You can make Pesto out of just about anything and you can put Pesto on just about anything you want and it will make any dish more flavorful!

Pesto recipe history is not exact. Many pasta historians believe that Pesto sauce originated in Genoa, Italy in a region that is called Liguria which is Northern Italy where my old boss Mr. Mele' came from. The Pesto from that region is called "Pesto Genovese. It is your basic Pesto recipe that most of us are familiar with. Crushed garlic, basil, pine nuts all blended with olive oil and parmigiano reggiano cheese or pecorino romano cheese. Today we make Pesto in a blender or food processor but, in the old days this delicious sauce was made in a mortar and pestle. I would imagine the cooks of the day had very strong arms!

In Rome during ancient times Pestos earliest version was called Moretum and it was made in a mortar and pestle of the simple ingredients of cheese, garlic and selected herbs. Later in history the Genoans(Ligurians) would add the herb basil, pine nuts and olive oil to the garlic, cheese and other herbs to make the original Pesto Genovese!

The word Pesto is the modern word adaptation of the Italian word Pestare which means to pound. Therefore the modern word Pesto is the generic term given for anything that is made by pounding as you would with ingredients in a mortar and pestle. There are many kinds of Pesto recipes out there and some of them are the true Italian classic Pesto recipe and some are the more modern fusion style types used in fine dining and gourmet home cooking but, the most common Pesto recipe in Italian cooking is called "Pesto alla Genovese" or "Pesto Genovese." (olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, basil and cheese)

The traditional Pesto sauces use pine nuts but, I make Pesto sauces with just about any type of nut I can think of because I am just plain nuts! I love to use almonds, walnuts, pistachios and macadamia nuts in my many Pesto sauces. Most people think that Pesto is just an Italian sauce but in reality there are Sicilian versions of the original Pesto recipe as well. One such sauce is called "Pesto alla Siciliana or "Pesto Rosso" or Red Pesto! This Sicilian Pesto recipe is made with the addition of tomato and using almonds instead of the classic pine nut and this pesto recipe also used less basil then the Italian Pesto recipe calls for. Then there is a Pesto recipe from the Calabrese region of Italy called Calabria in which the Pesto recipe is made with grilled bell peppers, black pepper, basil and choice of nuts and garlic. This Pesto recipe is known to be quite spicy and can like other Pesto recipes be made in a variety of ways and styles to meet the needs of today's chefs and gourmet home cooks.


For this reason in this blog post I am doing a video on a favorite spring time Pesto recipe that I like to make and that is fresh spring onion pesto. This Pesto is made with olive oil, basil, pistachio nuts salt, pepper, garlic and of course spring onions and cheese. I made this Pesto recipe for my Youtube channel just before leaving town on vacation and now that I am back I am putting it to this blog post. This Pesto recipe is packed with flavor and can like with all Pesto recipes be made in a wide variety of styles to suit the person making it. I know that if you try this Pesto recipe you will love it!

Enjoy!



Ingredients:

1 Cup olive oil.
1 Bunch spring onions(scallions).
4 Garlic cloves or more to taste.
1/2 Cup Pistachios.
1/4 Cup fresh basil leaves.
3 oz any type Italian cheese: Pecorino Romano, Parmesano/Reggiano, Asiago etc.
1 Tsp. sugar.
A pinch of oregano
Salt and pepper to taste.
Red pepper flakes to taste are optional.

Method:

1. In a food processor puree the spring onions/scallions to a desired consistency. No oil is needed in this step as there is enough water in the onions to allow the pureeing to take place. Start by pulsing the onions down to manageable texture then add some olive oil about 1/4 cup and go to blend.

2. After you have desired consistency add your garlic and pulse a few times then go to blend.
3. Now add your fresh basil leaves and add some olive oil 2 to 4 ounces and pulse them down then go to blend.
4. After all these ingredients are blended add the remaining olive oil and pulse then go to blend.
5. Now add your pistachio nuts and pulse and then go to blend. You want this pesto to be on the thick side and the nuts should be on the chunky side and the pesto a bit on the rustic end of things. (see video)

6. Add salt and pepper to taste and pulse that in. I put the salt and pepper in the pesto after it was out of the processor. The choice is yours.

7. Now add your cheese and pulse it into the pests. I put the cheese in after the pesto came out of the processor. The choice is yours.

8. Now add your oregano and pulse it into the pesto. I put the oregano into the pesto after it was out of the processor. The choice is yours.

9. When it comes time to cook something with this pesto I add some sugar to the amount of pesto I am going to use to cut any bitterness from the spring onions. This is an optional step. (see video) Some people might enjoy the slight bitter cut of the onions in this dish.

10. Eat and enjoy!