Tandoori Chicken Legs - Cayenne Cilantro *****

I just posted my recipe for Tandoori Chicken (another 5 star recipe) that I use the most often.  Here I'm going to offer a somewhat similar recipe, but it's different enough that I think it warrents a very separate consideration.  First of all, years ago, probably 15 or more, the Bombay House in Provo Utah used to offer a tandoori chicken appetizer.  They were legs and wings, and arrived on a bed of onions with a few lemon wedges.  It wasn't a main course, but I ordered it every single time I went there.

One day, they just didn't offer it anymore.  I can't remember the explanation.  So... after 15 or so years of remembering the magic of that little appetizer, I've completely recreated it here for your enjoyment.  And once again, as I mentioned with Tandoori Chicken, this is one of the most emotional and powerful meals you'll ever cook. It just leaves people speechless.  

(Feeds 5 people)

INGREDIENTS

• 14  Whole Chicken Legs
• 3  Tablespoons of Coriander Seeds
• 2 Tablespoons of Whole Black Peppercorns
• 1 Tablespoon of Cumin Seeds
• 1 Tablespoon of Cayenne Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon of Salt
• 6 Tablespoons of Minced Garlic
• 3 Tablespoons of Minced Ginger
• 9 Tablespoons of Vegetable Oil
• 3/4 Cup of Water or as needed.
• 6 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice
• 1 1/2 Cup of fresh Cilantro (packed)
• Onion Slices
• Lemon Wedges

1. Most Indians take the skin off the chicken.  I leave it on, but it's just a matter of taste.  Wash and dry your chicken pieces.
2. Heat a skillet, and toast the Coriander Seeds, Whole Black Peppercorns, and Cumin Seeds, 1-3 minutes until fragrant.  Be careful not to burn them.  Set them aside to cool.
3. When they are cool, put them in a spice blender and blend them until they are a fine powder.   At this they should smell just amazing.  
4. In a blender combined all the other ingredients (cayenne, garlic, ginger, oil, water, lemon juice) with the powder and blend until pureed.  Then add the Cilantrro and Pulse to Blend.
5. Marinate your chicken for from 1 hour to over night.
6. Heat your Grill on High.  Oil your Grate.
7. Place the chicken on the highest grate you can, and cook from 10 to 20 minutes.  You can baste the chicken with reserve marinade as well.  When it's nearly done, put the chicken on the lower grate for a minute on each side.
8. Serve on a bed of thinly sliced onions and garnish with Lemon Wedges.  Squeeze the lemon on the chicken and eat. 

The real trick to this meal is the lemon squeezed on the meat.   Once again, I expect you'll have a group of very happy, satisfied people who can't stop talking about how good this meal is!

Tandoori Chicken *****

I'm probably going to eventually include a number of different Tandoori Chicken recipes here.  Bar none it's one of my favorites and one of the favorites of my family.  This one is very simple and I've cooked it many times.  It's a 5 star recipe and it's my guess that you'll use it over and over again until it becomes second nature.

For a variation that is just a good (heck, might even be better!) see my Tandoori Chicken Legs with Chile & Cilantro.

Tandoori Chicken is THE single most popular Indian barbecue dish - it is so powerful and so emotional. Very few foods create the emotional reaction that this food does.  I find sitting at the table afterwards with those who come to my table to be a quite moment of reflection. It is truly a Chef of Enlightenment kind of moment, where you sit back and just be present with the feeling of satisfaction.

INGREDIENTS

For the Marinade

• 1 1/2 cup of plain whole milk yogurt
• 3 Tablespoons of Minced of Garlic
• 3 Tablespoons of Minced Ginger 
• 1  Teaspoon of Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Black Pepper
• 1/2 Cup of Heavy Cream
• 1 Teaspoon of Garam Masala
• OR
• 1 Tablespoon of Patak's Milk Curry Paste
• OR
• 1 Teaspoon of any Tandoori Chicken Dry Rub or Spice Mixture
• 2 drops of Red Food Coloring (Optional)
• 1 to 3 teaspoons of cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you want it).
• 1/2 cup of lemon juice

Chicken

• 2-3 pounds of boneless chicken thighs or chicken breast meat or chicken tenders.  It really doesn't matter what you use.  I most often use Chicken Thighs because they have such a better flavor, but I've used chicken breasts or chicken tenders as well.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a bowl mix all of the ingredients together to make the marinade.  Add the chicken and coat well.  Refrigerate for as long as you can.  I've left it overnight for optimal flavor, but you'll get a good result even after 1-2 hours.
2. Preheat your grill to high.
3. If you have a double grate (a higher grate) use the highest grate.  Lay the chicken on it and back it, turning it once or twice. You can also baste it with butter if you like.  Watch it carefully, to make sure you don't over do it.  Some suggest you cook on the lower grill, but I find that tends to risk burning the meat and making it too dry.    Some people will suggest you use skewers which works fine if you have some nice metal skewers and keep the food off the grill.  

When the meat is done, I take it right off the grill and onto a plate.  No garnishments are needed, though lemon is used on some recipes and can be really nice.  Just gather your family and friends around, cut up the meet, give everyone a fork, and start eating.  That might sound barbaric, but there is something about gathering around a platter of barbecue, everyone forking pieces into their mouth that is magical, especially on warm summer evening after the sun has gone down. But we've had just as much fun with a foot of snow outside, bringing the meat into the kitchen where everyone gathers around the counter to eat.

I guarantee you'll be impressed with this recipe.  

Butter Chicken Chicken Makhani Murgh Makhani

Butter Chicken Chicken Makhani Murgh Makhani

There are probably an endless variation of this recipe out there, but this is one I've pieced together myself.  With my penchant for studying Indian Food, I wouldn't be surprised if some time in the future you see another version of this recipe.  

This turned out very creamy and rich.  Everyone loved it, and my  kids thought it was the best ever. I was a little more critical because it was so RICH.  Something to consider.

One thing I'm doing for the first time here is to use Patak's Curry Paste as an additive in a recipe.  I was scouting Youtube for Indian Food videos and I saw someone put a couple tablespoons of a Patak paste into their sauce, and I thought: Wow... that's how you use that.  So... for the first time I'm using it this way, in the Marinade.  It replaces the 'curry powder' that is often used in this recipe.

MARINADE

INGREDIENTS
4-5 Tablespoon so Yogurt - I used full fat thick cream yogurt
Salt
Red Chili Powder
Paprika
Ground Cumin
Ground Coriander
Lemon lemon juice
2-3 Tablespoons of Patak';s Original Concentrated Curry Paste Mild
2 small packages (about 2-3 lbs) of chicken thighs or chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces.

INSTRUCTIONS
1.  Put the yogurt in a metal blow and add spices as you see fit.   A lot of people measure here, but I don't. I just throw in there. If I had to guess, I would say it's about a teaspoon of everything. 

2. Pour in some lemon juice, the Patak's Paste (2-3 tablespoons), and mix real well. 

3.  Then add the chicken, mix real well with your hands, cover and refrigerate!  (This picture does not show the pieces cut into bite sized pieces... we forgot on the picture run).  

SAUCE

INGREDIENTS
Ghee (You can use vegetable oil or regular butter if you prefer)
1 Onion (chopped)
1 Tablespoon garlic chopped
1 Tablespoon of ginger
1 Teaspoon of Cumin Seeds
1/2 Teaspoon of Ground Cardamom
1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Cloves
1/4 Teaspoon of Turmeric
1 Teaspoon of Chili Powder
1/2 Teaspoon of Amchoor Powder (dried mango)
1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
1/2 Teaspoon of Paprika
1/2 Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
1/2 cup of Heavy Cream 
2 Bay Leaves
4 Whole Cloves
2 Green Cardamom Pods
1 Tablespoon of Kasoori Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves)

Get yourself some Ghee, which is clarified butter.  I got some from an Indian Grocer once and it was amazing and nutty. This version (SWAD) I got from my local market here in Heber and... I'm not as impressed.  Not at all.  It doesn't have the nutty flavor I really like from the other stuff.  Once I'm done using this I'm not going to ever buy it again.  Just my opinion though. It seems more like regular butter than Ghee to me.

Heat the Ghee in a pot!

Add the chopped onion.

Get yourself some garlic and ginger.

Add to the pot! 

Add in some Cumin Seeds, and cook it all for 4-6 minutes.

Get yourself a can of Hunts Tomato Sauce. You can also use a can of petite cut tomatoes instead, it doesn't matter.

Add it to the pot!  

Add some spices.  I added 1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom, 1/4 a teaspoon of ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric, a dash of chili powder, a dash of amchoor powder (dried mango), 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.

Cook for 20 minutes on low.  Remove from the heat.  Let cool.  

When it is cool, put it into a blender.

Now blend it up!  Reserve to the side.

Put some more ghee in the pot.  Heat up and add your two bay leaves, 4 whole cloves, and 2 green cardamom pods.  Stir for 10-15 seconds.

Looks fantastic. Might have too much butter in there however.  Be careful.

Now add your chicken and marinade.  Cook it up until the chicken is well cooked on the outside, 5 minutes.

Add the reserved sauce.

Cover and cook on medium low for 20 minutes.

Get yourself some cream.  Remember what I told you above?  My version was REALLY rich.  My kids thought it was the best ever... but I thought it was too rich.  So be careful how much cream you add.  1/2 a cup seems like it would be a fairly good amount. I used 1 full cup and it was too much  (in my opinion).

Add the cream. Stir.  Cook 5 minutes.

Add dried fenugreek leaves, stir, cook 2-3 minutes more.  Remove bay leaves, cardamom pods, and whole cloves (you don't want to bite into them).

Chop some Cilantro.

Serve with basmati rice and sprinkle fresh cilantro on top!  We ate it with chips, sour cream, fresh fruit (apples, oranges, kiwi, and mango). 

Potatoes Au Gratin - Scalloped Potatoes

While visiting the haunted hills of Northern California this weekend I was blessed to be served Potatoes Au Gratin by a good friend in his home on his land.  They were so simple... so easy... It's time to enjoy them again, here with the Chef of Enlightenment.  The spirit of this food was comfort... and it filled us with good feelings.  Satiety!  Let's begin!

NOTE - Most versions of this meal that I've researched in cook books and on the internet are a bit different.  1. They use a cream mixture.  We aren't going to do that (for reasons explained below).  2.  Most do NOT include some type of Ham or Bacon.  We ARE going to include ham/bacon.  Interestingly enough... growing up my Mom's Au Gratin always had ham in it AND a cream mixture.  So... if you are messing around learning the variations of this great recipe, making it your own, try it without ham one time... and then another time try it without the cream mixture.  And then just to be wild, try it with both!  

Who is your daddy? That would be me... your Chef of Enlightenment.  And this journey on your enlightenment trail requires a few items. Usually less is better, and that's definitely the case with the Chef's Au Gratin potatoes! Here are your ingredients of my version (inspired by my friend in Norther California).  Do you feel the magic? How SIMPLE.  A lot of people are going to tell you to use cream... and milk... and butter... but what do they know?  Okay... I like creamy Au Gratin too, but this recipe doesn't use those and you'll never miss them.  And lest you think we are doing this for some health reason think again.  It's just that we don't need them.

Preheat your oven to 425.

Slice your ham up.    I used some pretty fatty ham. I would be cognizant of choosing leaner ham next time.

Cut up your sausage!

Dice your onions up.  I'm using a red onion, which has a different flavor than regular onions.  Choose which one you prefer.

Grate your own cheese, or you can use pre-bought grated cheese.  

Look at these beauties!  Most recipes are going to tell you use russet potoatoes, and feel free to do that if you want.  This version uses red potatoes, which I prefer.  

I'm not going to peel them.  As someone else in the recipe industry once said, it's against my religion.  I don't peel taters.  My Mom (bless her soul) peeled every potato she ever cooked, except baked potatoes, and I can feel her disapproval from here.  

So... feel free to peel them if you want.  I don't.

So... clean them up, and then slice them thin.  I know people who slice them thick and then cut them into chunks.  That's crazy!  Don't do that!  Cut them thin!  Scallop them!

Get yourself a glass casserole dish.  

Now... think LAYERS!  Like Ogres... Potatoes Au Gratin has layers!  Lay the potatoes, cover with some cheese... sprinkle some onions, ham, salt and pepper.  Do it again.  And again.  Usually three times works.

Isn't that amazing?  That's pretty.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Now add onions, ham, and sausage.

Now add the cheese!

And then do it all again!  Layers!  Salt and pepper it to taste!

Cover it and Cook it 30 minutes.  Take it out, uncover it, cook it 30 minutes more.  Finish by sprinkling some cheese on top and setting it under the broiler.

At this point you are wondering where the finished product photo is?  Well... we took it out, set it on the table, and ate it.  No messing around.  It's gone. No food left to take a picture of!  SORRY!

VERDICT: This was a good version.  See variations below for different ways you can go about making it.  And note the other version I have put up: Cream Au Gratin.
INGREDIENTS
4 lbs of Red Potatos (taters!)
1 lb of Lean Ham
1 lb of Kielbasa Sausage (or any other flavor you want)
1 lb of Cheese of your choice (Hand Grated!)
1 Large Red Onion
Salt
Pepper

VARIATIONS ON THE THEME

Some different things you can try include:

Garlic - Add 2-4 cloves of garlic smashed up.  Hard to argue with this experimentation.
Creamy Sauce - A basic, milk, cream, flour, sauce is used in a lot of recipes.  Give it a try.  I have a recipe for it here: Creamy Au Gratin.
Cook the Onions in Butter - Some people like to soften the onions first before putting them in.  Give it a try.
Bay Leaves / Thyme - Fresh herbs are always nice.  Give them a try as well.
Different Cheeses - By all means try different cheeses.  The standard is of course Sharp Cheddar, but we used a different mix so you can as well.  Grated Parmesan is used by many.
Different Potatoes - As mentioned above you can try different potatoes, like russets.
Green Onions - This is an idea I haven't used, but really intrigues me.  Sometimes green onions give a dish just such a magically different flavor that I get excited about it.
Bread Crumbs - Some people sprinkle the top with bread crumbs and toast them as well.
Mustard - I've seen people put a little dab of Dijon in their cream sauce.
Paprika - I like the idea of sprinkling a little paprika on top when you broil it.  Give it a deep rich red color.
Cayenne - Why not play with it and add some spices to heat things up?  Cayenne and white pepper sound nice.

The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook - Revised Edition

The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook - Revised Edition

A few years ago I was in Costco and saw this book. Not sure what impressed me to buy it... but I'm sure glad I did.  The thing that really got me about this book was that it had so many notes in it about what they did, why they did it, and how they did it.  They test not just recipes but ingredients and have handy notes about all of them.

This might be my FAVORITE cookbook.  The Fannie Farmer Cookbook is certainly basic, and this covers all the basics as well, but with better pictures, notes, and recipes.  My oldest son likes to cook on Sundays for us with his girlfriend, and they always choose a recipe from this book, and it's ALWAYS good.  

If anyone wants just one book to learn how to cook with... this is IT.  Forget all the Modernist techniques, if you want simple enlightenment for your family in the kitchen... this IS the book. Seriously.  I play around with lots of other cookbooks and ideas, but if I had to choose just one to start with and live with, this would be it.  It's all you will ever need... until you start playing around like I do with different techniques.  

And just one thing to add: I LOVE that they test things.  They try it 15 different ways, sometimes more... and it's just refreshing to know these people love food, they test how to cook it and you can feel that the technique they are offering aren't just their home version... they've rigorously tested different ways to do things.  It's refreshing.

I found my copy at Costco, but you can get yours here at Amazon:  The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook.

The Fannie Farmer Cookbook

The Fannie Farmer Cookbook

The Fannie Farmer Cookbook Anniversary Edition can be found at Amazon.  

I think I've said elsewhere that on my trip to Chef Enlightenment I started with Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Cooking cookbook.  But the first book I actually got was The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, though it was given to my wife so she could cook.  Alas she never learned to cook, but I've used the book myself many times since there.

This book is the basics.  You can't go wrong here.  It's been around forever, and is a great resource for basic cooking.

Being the Chef of Enlightenment you would think I wouldn't need this book but I refer to it all the time.  Just doing something basic, it's always good to check and see how it was done in this book.  Yes, it's very basic, but it also provides a foundation of ideas for all the basic home cooking and comfort food you could ever want.  I highly recommend this book for any kitchen. Its a basic ingredient for any Chef, particularly an enlightened one.

Plus, it will always remind me of my mother.

Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen

Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen

Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen is where it all started for me.  My mother gave me this book in the late 90s when I told her I was first interested in cooking.  My first recipe was Lamb Curry, starting on page 135.  I've cooked and recooked so many recipes from this book it's ridiculous.  At one point in my life I called myself a Cajun Chef, because I was so inspired and motivated by this style of cooking.  This is the one that really started it all for me and I will always have a fond place in my heart for Chef Paul.  His love of food made my life immeasurably better.  I'll always be grateful to him and recommend this book still, all these years later.

Modernist Cuisine at Home

Modernist Cuisine at Home

I didn't start my Modernist bent of cooking with Modernist Cuisine at Home.  In fact I started with the full Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking original massive 6 volume set.  To say that it was a bit overwhelming would be an understatement.  Did I love them? Absolutely, I soaked them up.  What Nathan Myhrvold and his crew have done amazes me.  We are kindred souls.  But the original 6 volume set is heavy.  HEAVY.  Not easy to digest and turn into home cooking.

Luckily Nathan is a genius, and realized this problem, so he solved it by created the Modernist Cuisine at Home cookbook.  For anyone starting Modernist techniques... THIS is the place to start.  If you have been paying attention to my blog you'll realize I take inspiration from this book a lot.  I highly recommend it!

Modernist Spaghetti Marinara Sauce

Modernist Spaghetti Marinara Sauce

Yesterday I tried a new Spaghetti Marinara Sauce, inspired by Modernist Cuisine At Home.  The technique uses pressure cooking (the pressure cooker is fast becoming one of my favorite kitchen tools) and very simple ingredients.  The idea would be to experiment with the pressure cooker and see what different tastes we could create in it.  Worth considering is to try some of my older recipes [Jan Smith's Spaghetti Sauce] using the pressure cooker and seeing if there are any differences worth noting.  When I do that, I'll let you know how it turns out.  If you have already done it, let me know.

This version uses minced carrots and onions as a base for sweetness.  I think we could easily try onions, bell peppers and celery for a cajun type feel, or just use garlic instead as the base of the sauce (with no onions or carrots or even sausage).

Ingredients
1  medium sized yellow onion roughly chopped
1  large carrot (I never bother pealing my carrots, but you might want to) chopped
6 cloves of garlic
1 16 oz package of ground pork or Jimmy Dean Sausage.
Olive Oil
2 14.5 oz cans of Tomato Sauce, Crushed Tomatoes, or Petite Diced Tomatoes.
Big handful of fresh mushrooms sliced
Fresh Basil
1/2 Cup of Heavy Cream
Salt

Instructions

1.  We start by chopping the onion and carrot up and putting them with the garlic into a food blender (Cuisinart) till it is all minced.

2.  Cook the Sausage in the pressure cooker until it is done.  Remove it to a paper towel covered plate to soak up the oil.

3.  Add olive oil to the pan.
4.  Add the minced carrots, onions and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes or so.
5.  Add the two cans of tomatoes and drained sausage and sliced mushrooms.

5.  Pressure Cook at 1 bar for about 1 hour or so. I actually cooked it for about 2 hours, so I'm not sure if that did anything good or bad.  Anyone have any research on over cooking things in a pressure cooker?
6.  Depressurize your pressure cooker.
7.  Add a big handful of barely chopped (or torn) fresh basil leaves.
8.  Add 1/2 a cup of heavy cream.
9.  Add Salt and Olive Oil to taste.

Ours came out magically.  It was a very different taste than what we are used to, but the whole family loved it.  We put it over pasta and mashed potatoes (of all things).  It was even better the next day.

Naan - Stonefire

I'm a fan of Indian food, and here in Utah one of my favorite places to eat is the Bombay House.  Whatever I have there, I always order Naan to go with it.  As an aspiring Indian Food Chef at home, I've always wanted to make homemade Naan.  I found a recipe that somewhat replicates the effect of the heat of a clay oven, and I'll share that recipe with you some day soon.  The problem is the Clay Oven used in Indian Restaurants cooks food at such a high temperature in such a specific way that it is difficult to fully replicate at home.  I've managed it... although it is a lot of work.

But this is not a recipe post, this is a review post.  I recently discovered Tandoor Baked mini Naan from Stonefire.  Stonefire is a company that focuses on authentic bakery items.  Check out their website for information, product, and recipes.

The product above is NOT what I am reviewing. In fact, I can't find the product I have on their website. I got the product at Costco, so perhaps it's a specific exclusive item only sold at Costco.  I'm not sure.  But what I am sure of is this: It is a great product.

Sure... it's not like fresh Naan that comes out of the Clay Tandoor Oven at the Bombay House.  Or even the version I make at home (recipe coming, as I promised!).  But they are... easy to cook (pop in the toaster) and tasty!  For simplicity, if you are cooking up some Indian food, and you just want to keep the bread part simple... I can't think of an easier way than this.

If you've heard other companies that do this, and have compared, let me know, we'll do some research on the topic.  But right now, this is so darn simple I'm sticking with Stonefire.  I just pop it into the toaster, and when it comes out I ladle homemade Tikka Masala (recipe coming at well) on top and it is wonderful.