This morning we travel through food with this third excerpt from Burma, Rivers of Flavor (Artisan Books, October 2012) by Naomi Duguid.
Kachin
Chicken Curry
Serves 4
This dish
can be cooked in a bowl set in a steamer or in a tightly covered pot. The
chicken is chopped into small pieces, on the bone. It cooks more quickly than
it would in large pieces, and more surface area is exposed to the flavor paste
and the broth.
The chicken
is rubbed with a flavor paste of garlic, ginger, ground coriander, turmeric,
and dried red chiles. It steams in its own juices, emerging tender and
succulent.
About 1 1/2
pounds chicken parts, chopped into about 15 pieces
1
tablespoon minced garlic
1
tablespoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon
salt
2 to 4
dried red chiles, seeded and minced
Scant 1
teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/4
teaspoon turmeric
1
tablespoon water, or as needed
1
tablespoon peanut oil or vegetable oil,
if slow-cooking
2
tablespoons minced scallion greens or chopped coriander (optional)
Rinse the
chicken pieces, remove most of the skin, and set aside. Place the chicken in a
wide bowl.
Pound
together the garlic, ginger, salt, chiles, coriander, and turmeric in a mortar
to make a paste. Alternatively, mash the garlic
and ginger with the side of a knife. Place in a small bowl, add the salt,
chiles, coriander, and turmeric, and use the back of a spoon to blend them.
Stir the
water into the paste, and add it to the chicken. Turn and mix the chicken and
paste until the pieces are well coated. Set aside while you organize your
cooking method.
If steaming
the chicken: You need a shallow bowl that will fit into your steamer basket
when the lid is on and that is large enough to hold all the chicken. You also
need a pot that is just about the same diameter as your steamer, so that no
steam escapes.
Pour about
3 inches water into the pot and set the steamer basket in the pot. Transfer the
chicken and flavorings and the reserved skin to the wide shallow bowl and place
in the steamer. Put on the steamer lid, then heat the water over high heat.
When it comes to a strong boil, turn the heat down slightly. Steam the chicken
until cooked through, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Check on it after 45 minutes: be
careful as you lift
off the lid not to burn yourself on the steam, then stir the chicken so that
pieces that are underneath will be exposed to the hot steam. Cover again and
resume steaming.
Check one
of the largest pieces of chicken for doneness after an hour or so. Also check
that the pot has enough water and is not running dry. When all the chicken is
cooked through, remove the steamer from the pot, again taking care not to burn
yourself on the steam.
If slow-cooking
the chicken: Add 2 tablespoons more water and the oil to the chicken. Place in
a wide heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, add the reserved skin, and stir to
mix well. Place over medium-low heat, with the lid on, and bring to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to low and cook for 1 hour, or until all the chicken is cooked
through. The chicken will be bathed in a light sauce and will be tender and
succulent.
To serve:
Remove the skin and discard. Serve hot or at room temperature, topped,
if you like, with a sprinkling of scallion greens or coriander.
(* Excerpted from Burma: Rivers of Flavor by Naomi Duguid(Artisan Books). Copyright © 2012. Photographs by Richard Jung)