Recipe for the lazy and minimalist cooks:
These recipes are meant for those who like to have good food without much work or time. They are not meant to be authentic or too detailed. We view recipes as a general guide not strict instructions. So if you do not have an ingredient, substitute with what you have. If you do not like some ingredient - just do not use it. If you feel you have a better idea - go ahead and change it. After all you have to eat what you cook. We only hope you enjoy the process not just the digestive destination.
And oh, we focus on the process more than what spice to add - which depends on your mood and what you have at home. We do not go out to get one ingredient and we do not expect you to do it. We mean it when we say lazy.
Recipe: Chilly Chicken when we need a bit of spice.
Occasion: Good for those rainy days or for those boring evening with nothing else to do.
1. Get some cut up chicken with bones. Buying is the traditional method, but we do not frown upon other creative means (borrow or steal).
2. Marinate the chicken in a bowl. Must ingredients: salt. Others: ginger power, garlic power, a bit of red chilly flake or power or black pepper, Indian turmeric, Chinese five spice, or if you have a meat rub. Do not use any wet ingredient. Keep it dry.
2. Take a thick pot. We use a thick nonstick wok. It is important that the pot can get really hot. The hotter the pot, the better the searing process, and hence, better the taste. High dry heat is meat's best friend.
3. Put a teaspoon of oil. We use olive oil and since we have a nonstick pan we sometime skip it. Most chicken will have some fat and if the pot is hot, it will release a bit of fat itself. Yes, we are talking about skinless chicken with fat removed.
3. When the oil is close to smoking hot, add the chicken any lay them in one single layer so that each piece touches the pot and not piled up on each other. So do not use a lot of chicken. Always cook small quantity - it is easier to cook and even if something goes wrong it wont haunt you for days.
4. Wait until the meat is brown on one side. Trust us it takes a min more than you think. So do not poke and turn. Just wait. We like to brown our meat well.
5. Carefully turn the pieces to the other side. Careful because a few drops of oil may spatter. The care is to protect you not the chicken - trust us it does not need protection any more. And wait. This side will take a little less time. You know exactly why.
6. At the end of that the chicken must be almost cooked - that is why you need to buy small pieces or ask the butcher to cut them small. Now it is time to add some stuff.
7. We use chopped up red onions, a few cloves of crushed garlic, few pieces of jalapenos. For jalapenos, we prefer a bit of quantity and use those that are not too hot. Or if they are hot, take out seed. We like to eat the chilly so it is more for the flavor than the heat. You can use bell pepper instead. Add to the pot and mix well with the chicken.
8. When the onion is done a bit - say 3-4 minutes, then add some spice. Here are a few options:
i) Chinese flavor: dash of soy sauce, a bit of oyster sauce and rice vinegar.
ii) Typical: lemon juice, bit of ketchup, and a bit of hot sauce.
iii) Or if you want really dry: do not add any liquid.
You ask, how much? Well, it depends on what you like, how much chicken you have, and what mood you are in. So start with small quantity, and taste.
9. Mix all the ingredient and lower the temperature. Cook the whole thing for a few more minutes (5-10). If you want the meat to be tender, cover the pot and cook a bit longer. Make sure it does not burn on the bottom.
Eating suggestions:
1. The Chinese style goes well with steamed rice.
2. We prefer, to eat with some bread. It can be tortilla, Indian nan, lavash, sourdough bread - you get the idea.
3. If you are eating with bread, then a drink of beer or wine will go well with the spice. We do not recommend this if you are having it with rice.
And remember, lack of left over is the best indicator of good cooking.
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Chilli Chickenby crystleroche46,469 views
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