Kiki's Chicken Curry

Mom. Christiane, as known as Kiki, wrote her best recipes on a small notebook and gave it to me when Zouk & I got married. Some of them I keep dearly under monitored security (joking!) and some others I share because the memories attached to the dish are easier to manage. We miss you Kiki.

I miss you. Every moment of every day.

I call this Chicken Curry Mediterranean, because it is my mom’s recipe and it has nothing to do with coconut milk, nor cream of any kind, and the spices are widely available. No secret difficult to find ingredient. Simple and straight forward! This is a recipe we all enjoy very much. It is on rotation for our monthly menus…

In June 2019, during a dinner party one of our guests gave me the validation I needed for my recipe; she said it reminded her a lot of the comfort home-cooked meals she had growing up. It felt simple and the flavors authentic to her Indian Mom Curry. Nice!!! This is the kind of seal of approval any curry recipe should aim for. Thank you!

Bon appétit!

Kiki’s Chicken Curry

recipe credits: Rafaella Sargi
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 chicken thighs cut in 4 (boneless and skinless)
1 cup small diced onion
1 garlic clove, grated
1 tablespoon flour
1 granny smith apple, small diced
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 cups of chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
Salt
Few fresh cilantro leaves

Directions
Scale and prep all the ingredients.
You will need a medium bowl and a large pot with a lid.

In a large pot, heat the extra virgin olive oil and butter until melted and hot. Season the chicken thighs with salt and sear them on all sides. Do not overcrowd the pot and work in batches if you need to.
Once all the chicken pieces are seared set them aside in a medium bowl.
In the same pot, cook the chopped onions for a few minutes until translucent (mixing from time to time to scrap the tasty bits of flavors at the bottom of the pot), add the garlic and cook for a minute. Sprinkle the flour and mix to coat evenly. Add the apple, seared chicken and curry powder then mix again. Pour the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover and let it cook for 30 minutes. Just before serving add the cream if using. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately with white rice and a few fresh cilantro leaves.