New old favorites

My grandmother is a woman of wonder. Mother to six children- two girls, one of whom is my mother, and four boisterous, ever-hungry boys- and a force to be reckoned with in her spotless, devotedly Southern kitchen. I think she recognized from an early age the importance of food, not just as a necessary factor for nourishment, but a way to get everyone to sit down, shut up, and truly enjoy the same thing at the same time, at least for a little while. Our family is completely food centric.

My mother shares this same gift, with a different spin. While my grandmother churned out the same basics that her family loved, including enough fried chicken to feed the entire continent of Asia several times, my mother was always trying something new. Coffee rubbed flank steak and chicken marsala may seem old hat to the current foodie, but ten years ago in small southern towns, my mom was a radical. (She remains ahead of the curb now, as well.)

So that's where my food focus is derived from: A love of the classics, but a neverending urge to try new things. And that's exactly what I was doing when I first prepared what has become one of my favorite, favorite, favorite things to cook, Thai Coconut Chicken. When I made this dish for my family while visiting them in Kentucky over Christmas, it became one of their favorite things to eat, as well!

This is a rendition of a Thai curry, which, like all good curries, first starts with spices!

Here, the options are limitless. Your basics are important: Curry, ginger, and paprika. I also like to add a healthy amount of coriander, cayenne red pepper, chili powder, and lately, cumin. Cumin isn't typical of curries, but I love the nutty, earthy bite it adds. Many recipes call for a premade spice mixture called garam masala, and you can certainly use that if you like, but I prefer the customization of making my own mixture. These spices are going to be mixed with a little water to make a paste called a curry slurry (isn't that cute?), which we'll cook in our skillet a little later.

You're also going to need some chicken. I used tenderloins this time, but you can certainly use boneless skinless chicken breasts, and I have used boneless thighs as well. Hooray for versatility!

There are our tenderloins, salted, peppered, and ready for the magic of searing to happen. And see that inviting looking beverage residing in the background? That is a respectable holiday cocktail that I was enjoying while cooking, which maybe explains why this dish is somewhat sporadically documented, photograph-wise.

If you've never worked with a curry slurry before, do not be intimidated. I have complete confidence in you. In the recipe below, you will be instructed to, after searing the chicken, to pour the slurry directly into a pan of hot oil. This daunted me upon first preparing this. Won't it splatter? Will it scorch? The answers are, respectively: Yes, but it will be okay; and no, if you monitor the heat and whisk often. Then, after browning the slurry, and a whole sliced onion (keep those slices large, they will cook down as they braise), you'll build a sauce, return the chicken to the pan, and braise, braise, braise, until it's falling apart and so delicious.

The star of this dish, of course, is the coconut milk. After the chicken braises in a strong-smelling, highly acidic liquid, the coconut milk is added just at the end, smoothing out every bit of harshness from the vinegar, highlighting and amplifying the spices. And served over the lime rice, it is everything you could ever want in new dish, that I hope will become an old favorite.

Thai Coconut Chicken with Lime-Cilantro Rice, a la Savannah
Serves 6, easily

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb chicken tenderloins, breasts, or thighs
1 yellow onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp curry
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or more, if you like it spicier)
4 tbsp canola, peanut or vegetable oil
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup sugar
1 can unsweetened coconut milk (lite is fine, but why bother?)
1 cup rice
1 lime
1 sprig fresh cilantro (optional)
salt and pepper

1.  First things first: Prepare your slurry. Combine all spices in a small bowl along with about one tablespoon of water. Mix into a paste and set aside.

2. Generously salt and pepper chicken. Heat half of the oil on medium-high in a large skillet that can be tightly fitted with a lid. Once oil is VERY hot, sear chicken in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. We're not cooking the chicken all the way through here; just establishing a beautiful brown color which will translate to a beautiful brown flavor later.

3. When all chicken is browned, remove to a plate and heat the rest of the oil in the same pan, with the heat now on medium-low. Add the curry slurry and start whisking. It will splatter and pop a bit, but don't be alarmed- just whisk for a couple of minutes, until it has thickened somewhat and smells toasty. The spices will stick to the pan, and that's okay. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until onions are slightly transluscent. Add garlic; cook a couple of more minutes.

4. Now, we deglaze the pan. Crank the heat back up to high, and grab your chicken broth. Pour the broth into the hot pan. It should hiss and bubble. Whisk, whisk, whisk to pull up all of the browned bits as well as the spices from the bottom of the pan. Turn heat back down to medium-low and add vinegar, sugar, and salt and pepper.

5. Return chicken to pan and cover tightly with lid. This will braise for about 35 minutes, or until chicken is fork-tender and cooked through. In the last fifteen minutes, make the rice. You can use whatever kind of rice you'd like- jasmine, brown rice, or, like I did, plain white rice- just follow the directions on the package. In the last five minutes, add the sprig of cilantro if you'd like for cilantro infused rice. Perfect flavor combination with Thai food! And the best part: When rice is finished, squeeze one half of the lime's juice in and stir to combine. Yum!

6. After the 35 minutes, remove the lid and turn the heat down to very low. Give it a couple of minutes for the temperature to lower itself a bit; if it's too hot when you add the coconut milk the sauce will separate. Open your can of coconut milk and stir it up a bit with a fork, then pour into the pan. Use a spoon to gently incorporate it into the sauce. Squeeze the other half of the lime's juice in and incorporate as well. Return the lid to the pan and cook another 10 minutes. Taste. Are the seasonings right? It's all about you, baby.

7. Serve chicken over the lime rice with plenty of sauce, and plenty of those delicious, tender onions. For a pretty presentation, garnish with a little cilantro and an extra lime wedge for squeezing!