Weeknight mean easy suppers I can put together with little fuss. Chicken curry is my favorite (as well as Spanish-style arroz con pollo, rice and chicken.) During green almond season, the dish gets an added surprise, cooked green almonds Chicken curry with green almonds, carrots and turnips has the contrasts of textures and tastes that makes dinner memorable. The chicken and rice are rich flavors balanced by the sweetness of the carrots, raisins and turnips. The green almonds give the rich rice a tart counterpoint.
There is not too much technique involved in cooking this skillet supper. When making this dish, find a heavy skillet with a lid. To get nice, browned skin, the pan should sit flat on the burner.
Dry and salt the chicken before cooking.
Make sure there is enough room in the pan for the chicken and vegetables that are added later.
Pay attention to the chicken as it browns. Many of us shorten this step. Browning removes much of the fat in the skin. Even though it softens while it cooks, the browned skin adds flavor to the dish.
Remove the chicken and some of the rendered fat then cook the aromatics in the pan. Soften the onions and garlic helps release their flavors. The spices also benefit from toasting too.
My skillet was just large enough to cram in all the vegetables.
After the chicken cooks for 10 or so minutes, add the rice and raisins.
You might like to add some peas or sliced green beans to the chicken curry. If you do, add them during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
Kitchen Notebook
The season for green almonds is short. It lasts from March until June. Almond growers talk about the three stages of the green almond pod. Mid-April, as I write, ends Stage One, when the buds are super tender. We’re entering Stage Two when you can still eat the whole green bud but it will be firmer. You can cook whole Stage One and Stage Two green almonds too. Stage Three means the green pod will probably be too tough to eat. But you will discover a tiny edible almond inside. That’s what I call fresh almonds. They have a delicate texture and mild flavor.
Stewart and Jasper, almond, nut and stone fruit growers in California are selling green almonds from their web site. Jason Jasper, as he has generously done for many years, sent me these green almonds to enjoy. He knows my mania for them.
Ingredients
4 plump chicken thighs
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup fine-chopped onions
1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
2 teaspoons curry powder, more to taste
2 carrots, peeled and cut into wedges
1 medium purple top turnip, peeled, cut into wedges
Approximately 20 green almonds
2 to 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup rice
¼ cup raisins
Directions
- Dry the chicken thighs with a clean paper towel. Heat the oil over medium high heat in a heavy skillet. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Place them, skin side down, in the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes until the skin is evenly golden brown. Turn the chicken over and cook for three more minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the pan. Add the onions, garlic and curry powder. Cook stirring constantly until the onions begin to soften and the spices are fragrant. Return the chicken to the pan. Tuck the carrots, turnips and green onions into the pan around and under the chicken. Add enough chicken stock to come up three quarters of the way almost covering the vegetables.
- Bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the rice and raisins, stirring so that the liquid covers them. Add more stock if needed. Bring back to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 30 to 40 more minutes.
- Remove the lid from the pot. The chicken, vegetables and rice should be tender. Most of the liquid will have evaporated.
- Adjust the seasoning and divide evenly between four plates.
