Braised Chicken Curry With Yams Food

YAM FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Put sweet potatoes and 6 cups water in a saucepan or stockpot on high heat. Cook until still slightly firm, 12 to 15 minutes from the time the heat is ignited. Pour off all water, reserving 2 cups.
• Return potatoes, butter, sugar and the 2 cups reserved water to the pot over high heat. Cook until the liquid starts to caramelize, about 15 minutes.
• Remove potatoes, leaving the caramelized liquid. Cook the yam sauce an additional 5 minutes on high heat. Add Fried Chicken. (Eat the potatoes. They are delicious.)
• For Florence's fried chicken seasoning: Stir together the flour, salt, pepper, baking powder and cornstarch in a medium bowl.
• For the chicken: Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Melt shortening in a heavy skillet or Dutch oven on medium heat. Cover chicken in Florence's fried chicken seasoning.
• Drop in skillet. Cook in two batches (white and dark separately), turning halfway through, until internal temperature reads 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the meat (not touching the bone), approximately 20 minutes.

CHICKEN CURRY WITH SWEET POTATOES AND COCONUT MILK

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil. Brown chicken pieces, in batches if necessary, until golden all over, 6 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken to a plate.
• Stir scallion, ginger, garlic and chiles into pot and reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in curry paste and cook 1 minute. Stir in coconut milk and sweet potatoes. Arrange chicken pieces on top of potatoes, placing breast meat on top. Pour in enough water to come halfway up the sides of chicken. Bring to a boil. Cover pot and transfer to oven. Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large dry skillet over medium heat, toast coconut flakes until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add mustard seeds and toast until they begin to pop, 1 minute more. Transfer to a bowl and season with a pinch of salt.
• Transfer chicken and sweet potatoes to a platter. Return Dutch oven to the stove and simmer over medium-high heat until cooking liquid has thickened to a saucelike consistency, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour over chicken and potatoes. Sprinkle with the coconut and mustard seed mixture and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing.

ASIAN BRINED PORK LOIN WITH GINGERED YAMS AND FIVE SPICE APPLES

Steps:

• Toast both peppercorns and anise until fragrant in a saute pan. Mix everything together and taste. The liquid should be tasty, but not overly salty. Place pork in brine overnight. After brining, thoroughly rinse pork in cold water. Season the pork with black pepper and saute in well oiled pan. Color both sides then place in a 375 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. The middle of the pork should get hot. Note: even when fully cooked, the meat will remain pink because of the brining process. Let loin rest for 10 minutes then slice. Place pork around a mound of yams. Garnish with apples, chive batons and chile oil. Optional garnish for the adventuresome would be fried yam chips.
• Place cream and ginger in saucepan and on low heat, reduce the cream to 1 cup. In another saucepan, place yams and garlic and completely cover with cold water. Place on stove at medium heat and slowly boil. Cook about 20 to 30 minutes or until yams can be pierced with a paring knife then easily fall off of the knife. Strain well and place in food processor. Puree and add cream, butter, salt and pepper. Check for seasoning. Keep warm for serving.
• In a saute pan, coat with oil and caramelize onions. Add five spice, sugar and apples. Deglaze with juice and season. Let mixture cook and reduce by 50 percent. The apples should remain intact and have some liquid left. Stir in the butter. Check for seasoning. Do not overcook apples to mash. This can be done in advance and reheated for plating.