Sunday, August 26, 2007

WHEN YOU FORGET THE MUSHROOMS...



This recipe was given to me by an Indian friend in Cardiff:


Ranya's Chicken


2 boned, skinned chicken breasts, each cut into 4 pieces, or 4 skinned drumsticks


3 tablesp. sunflower or groundnut oil


2 oz. butter


1 teasp. cumin seeds


1 onion, coarsely chopped


1 clove garlic, chopped


1 green pepper, sliced


5 fl. oz. chicken stock


about 1.5 glasses white wine


4 oz. small mushrooms, halved


seasalt and black pepper


chopped parsley to garnish if you want




Heat oil and butter in a deepish frying pan or wok. Add cumin seeds and fry for a couple of minutes. Add onion, garlic and green pepper. Cook, stirring, till onion is soft and transparent and the pepper has softened - about 10 mins. Add chicken, liquids, mushrooms and seasoning. Stir well, bring to simmer, cover and cook for about 45 mins. Serve with rice and a salad.


I wanted to make this last night but had forgotten to buy the mushrooms. I have plenty of chicken stock, as I make my own and freeze it in ice cube trays, but didn't want to put the kettle on to use a "cube" as the washing machine and other appliances were on. [Each household is limited to 3 kw of electricity here, unless you pay for more, and putting the kettle on at the same time as the washing machine or oven can cause your supply to cut out.] So I followed the recipe up to adding the chicken, then chucked in extra wine in place of the stock and added some pane grattugiato [the very fine breadcrumbs that we can buy] to soak up some of the liquid. Then I decided to cook the rice in the same pan rather than separately, so in it went. The result was excellent and I will make it this way again!

8 comments:

jmb said...

Necessity is the mother of invention.
This should be engraved on my forehead because I am always deciding to make something and finding I don't have one of the ingredients.
We live 2.5 km from the store so I am often "modifying" the original recipe.
regards
jmb

Chris said...

This sounds ideal for me - all cooked in 1 pan and wine instead of stock! Going to make it on Wednesday (out all day tomorrow). You are my inspiration, Welshcakes.

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Jmb, glad I'm not alone in that, then! Thank you, Chris - but what a responsibility I now feel! Auguri

Lee said...

It's good to substitute and more times than not the substitutions are wonderful! It's fun to be always brave in a kitchen. :)

(But damn annoying when you accidentally concoct a masterpiece and can never ever again duplicate it!) Hehehe! I'm sure that's happened to us all.

Crushed said...

That does like quite nice, but more what I'd associate with the Orient.
It does like Chinese or Indian, somehow.

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Hi, Lee. I've done that many times - created a culinary masterpiece by accident, thought, "I'll write it down tomorrow" and then forgotten what I did! Hi, Crushed. It is but I think I've Italianised it now.

Anonymous said...

one pot wonders - my fav cooking style and this one looks yummy!

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Thanks, Shirl. I'm all for one-pot cooking!

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