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By Request
Betty Shimabukuro
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Whole bird makes easy curry dish
RUTH FUJITA'S request for a long-lost recipe for Javanese Chicken Curry rang a bell with three readers, although none of them knew the dish by that name.
Fujita said the recipe involved boiling a whole chicken, then shredding the meat and making a sauce with the cooking liquid. It was then served with a variety of condiments.
Zola Brown said it reminded her of a curry she often ate while living in Africa; Pat Solstad said it sounded like a dish she knew as Burmese Chicken, made of chicken parts cooked in a turmeric-flavored broth. Sammy Lee Cory sent in what seemed the closest recipe, from a 1947 cookbook, "All-Western Foods" by Genevieve Callahan, published by Sunset.
Callahan notes that the dish is sometimes made with rabbit.
The dish is really easy and tasty. The hard part is deboning the chicken -- to make that easier, simmer it a LONG time, even though the chicken will cook through in much less than 2 hours.
By the way, the search has not ended for Fujita. She said none of the submissions looked quite right, so I imagine her recipe tinkering will continue.
Simple Chicken Curry
1 5-pound chicken
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup minced onion
1 tablespoon curry powder
6 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
1-1/2 cup evaporated milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Steamed white rice
» Condiments:
Chutney, bacon bits, shredded coconut, diced bananas, crushed peanuts, raisins, dry chow mein noodle pieces, chopped green onion, as desired
Place chicken in pot and half-cover with water. Bring to boil, then simmer, covered, 2 to 3 hours, until very tender.
Remove chicken and let cool. Reserve 2 cups cooking liquid. Skim fat. Remove meat from bones and shred. Discard skin.
Melt butter in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until tender. Stir in curry powder, then flour and a small amount of chicken cooking liquid. Cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add remaining broth and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth. Slowly stir in milk. Taste, then season with salt and pepper, and more curry powder if necessary. Add shredded chicken.
Serve with steamed rice and condiments. Serves 8.
Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving (not including condiments, rice or salt to taste): 400 calories, 25 g fat, 14 g saturated fat, 150 mg cholesterol, 280 mg sodium, 11 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 34 g protein.
Send queries along with name and phone number to:
"By Request," Honolulu Star-Bulletin,
500 Ala Moana, No. 7-210, Honolulu 96813.
Or send e-mail to
bshimabukuro@starbulletin.com