Basic Chicken Curry picked meat and broth from one poached fryer (see below), chopped 1 large onion, coarsely chopped 3/4 pound russet potatoes, scrubbed and diced into 3/4" chunks 3 carrots, peeled, chopped coarsely 1/2 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced into 1" squares 1 and one half quarts chicken stock, separated 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup mild curry powder 1 12 oz. can coconut milk 2 tablespoons olive oil salt Steam the potatoes for about 18 minutes, that is to say almost done. (I put them in the microwave with a little water and let it go 10 minutes. Done.) Put a large pot on the stove, and add the oil on medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrot, pepper and cauliflower and saute until nearly tender, stirring frequently to keep from browning. Add the curry powder and stir to coat. Wait ten seconds and then add a quart of chicken stock and stir until all lumps are gone from the curry powder. Put two cups chicken stock into a jar and add half a cup of flour. Tightly close the jar and shake vigorously to remove lumps, then remove the lid and pour the contents into the pot through a strainer to remove lumps. Add the potatoes and chicken, and let simmer slowly (low heat) until the potatoes are done. Shortly before serving, add the coconut milk. Season with salt to taste. Serve over rice. We add the following condiments, all of which are optional: roasted unsalted peanuts sliced hardboiled eggs crushed pineapple shredded unsweetened coconut currants sliced banana homemade chutney Poached Frying Chicken 1 whole frying chicken water I buy whole fryers when they go on sale for 68¢/pound, and freeze them until I'm ready to use them. I pull the bird from the freezer the night before, and about mid-day it is thawed enough to remove the neck & giblets from the cavity. At this point, wash the bird and go over it looking for feathers that didn't get removed. Then put the bird in a large pot and cover it about 2/3rds of the way up with water (or you can use leftover chicken stock from a previous session, or even canned store-bought chicken stock but watch the sodium, that stuff is loaded), cover, and bring to a simmer for about 45 minutes or until you can easily split the skin with a pair of tongs. Set a colander on a plate next to the stovetop. Using two slotted spoons, lift the cooked chicken from the pot, letting most of the liquid drain, and then set it in the colander to finish draining and cool, maybe 20 minutes. Run the chicken broth through a gravy pitcher to separate out the fat. Pour the broth back into the pot, and put the chicken fat into an empty can. I let the fat can cool outside until atmospheric temperature, then pop it in the refrigerator until just before the garbage can goes out, then put the (cold, solid) fat along with the can into the garbage. But I digress. Put the defatted broth on the stove on high heat, using the vent hood, and boil it until the volume is reduced to one and a half quarts. Bring the food waste bin and a food-safe container over next to the colander. Put on a pair of latex gloves, and remove all the skin, bone and ligaments from one piece at a time. Put the picked over meat into the container. The chicken meat is tender and juicy, not dry at all, and the skin and bones just slip right off. The broth is very flavorful and nearly free of fat and salt. Curry Powder If this is the only seasoning in a stew it is quite bland (without cayenne, that is). Try adding some tamarind concentrate for a sour note and some umami. Make sure to add coconut milk. For extra richness half a can of tomato paste should help. 1-1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds 1 tablespoon each brown and black cumin seeds 1 tablespoon fennel seeds 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 1 piece of cinnamon, broken (about 1/3 of a stick) 6-8 whole cardamom pods 6-8 cloves 1/2 whole nutmeg (break with hammer) 1/2 teaspoon whole allspice seeds 2 tablespoons turmeric powder 1 teaspoon powdered ginger 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional) Get out a spice grinder and a heavy-bottom skillet with a lid. Put the pan on medium heat. Put the seeds, cinnamon, cardamom pods and cloves into the pan. Increase the heat to high and put on the lid. Roast the spices, stirring frequently. As soon as they begin to smoke, add the powders and continue to roast for just a few seconds, then remove the pan from the heat and put the contents in a spice grinder. Grind thoroughly. Sift the ground curry powder to remove any unground chunks.