STILL NEW YORK-HUNGRY

27. "Italian" Chicken-Lemon Curry

What!? I hear you exclaim. What the heck is Italian about Curry?

Honestly?

I actually wanted to do a Curry since felt eons as I've tiptoed around Asian foods, trying them out at restaurants and such, but never actually wanting to cook Asian myself.

The bloody MILLION of ingredients required for authentic kitchen – what I'm aiming for – honestly turned me off. And you only use most of them once for a few "splashes" of this and a "pinch" of that... and then have your little storage space clogged with bottles and containers you probably never use again (when the stuff doesn't taste), or you cannot cook enough to use it all up in a reasonable time.

And it's a reality that Asian food comes in pounds + liters, not in ounces.

Back to the Curry.

There's a book series called Magic Cooking from one of the leading German (not only) cookbook publishers. I already have their collection of Magic Burgers, from which originated, for example,

– "13. The GERMAN Burger" ,

one with quite creative Pasta Sauces (stay tuned!), and now also the one with Magically easy Curries.

I found this recipe to be the PERFECT toe-in the-curry ocean-dish. (Whoa, what a metaphor, sorry!)

It contained the perfect mix of stuff I either like, or can use up in another recipe, and "exotic" spice (which I use regularly, though.)

But why the bloody ITALIAN! I hear you yell.

Uh, weeeell, although on the grocery list, I forgot the to buy the rice that should go with the curry. Hey, don't laugh! I'm an old woman who may forget everything she bloody pleases!

So what's the next-best carb source that's always in da house?

Yup, pasta!

So that's the "Italian Connection", no rocket science here.

Ja, ja, I'll stop babbling already and retreat to the kitchen. Greedy Peeps!




Serves: 2 Recipe; 3 Me; Asian portions are very generous, too.

Prep Time: 25 minutes according to recipe; 1 hr Me, for chopping; measuring, etc.

Degree of Difficulty: Easy




WE NEED

1 leek
2 garlic cloves
300 gr / 10.6 oz. chicken breast filet

1 lemon Recipe says zest, but I'd zested it already for "26. "Birthday Surprise" (2 cookies, 3 variations)" , so I used the juice, instead. Doesn't matter, I suppose.

1 tbsp neutral oil I used Canola
2 tbsp yellow curry paste Imagine my surprise when that stuff was more brown than yellow!

300 gr / 10.6 oz. buttermilk Some of the things I actually don't like, but can use up in pancakes, salad dressing, soup, etc.

Salt
Pepper




WE DO

1. Cut off the root, then slice the leek lengthwise, if needed wash it, and cut it into (thin) rings. Peel and finely dice the garlic. Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper, if needed cut off tendons, etc., and cut them into 3 cm / 1 in cubes. Wash the lemon under hot water – to get the pesticides off – dry and grate 2 tsp worth of zest. Or squeeze out an already zested one; see above


2. Heat the oil in a large pan – pot's okay, too – and fry the chicken cubes on high heat for about 3 minutes. Add leek + garlic and fry for another 2 minutes while continuously stirring. Stir in the curry paste–



– and continue frying for 10 seconds, then add buttermilk + lemon. Turn down the heat if needed, as: heat the curry, don't boil it.

Eventually season with salt + pepper.


3. Cook the desired carbs – usually rice – and


4. Serve!


Guten Hunger!