Make Ahead Butter Chicken

By Tiller

Food and Drink Winter 2011
goes well with rice and garlic green beans

Ingredients

• 12 skinless boneless chicken thighs
• 4 tbsp. butter
• 4 lrg cloves of garlic
• 3 tbsp. coarsely chopped ginger
• 2 green chilies or jalapenos,seeded
• 1 can plum tomatoes 796 ml
• 1 tbsp. ground cumin
• 2-3 tsp of garam masala
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 cups long grain rice
• 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh coriander

Preparation

Step 1

1. Trim excess fat from about a third of the chicken thighs. Cut each into 3 or 4 large pieces. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large wide saucepan over med-low heat. Add the cut up chicken. Don't crowd the pan. Cook until golden tinged, 3-5 minutes a side. You do not want to turn it a dark brown. Remove with a slotted spatula to a bowl. Melt 1 tbsp butter and the pan and repeat with another third of the chicken. and again till all the chicken is done.
2. While chicken is browning, prepare a spicy tomato sauce by coarsely chopping the garlic, ginger and seeded chilies. Fit a food processor with a metal blade. With the motor running, drop garlic through the food tube followed by ginger and then the chilies. Pulse until ingredients are finely chopped and cling to the side of the bowl. Drain tomatoes and save juice for another use. Remove lid of processor and add 2 -3 of the drained tomatoes. Whirl until mixture is pureed . Add the remaining tomatoes and pulse just until mixture looks ground. You do not want it completely pureed. Then measure all the spices and salt into a small bowl.
3.After removing all the browned chicken from the pan, drain juices that have collected in the chicken bowl back into the pan. Turn heat to med . When bubbling, add all the spices. Stir constantly and frequently scrape the bottom of the pan for 2 minutes. Pour in the spicy tomato and mix in. Once it comes to a boil, adjust heat so the sauce gently boils and continue to cook, uncovered, until thick. Stir frequently as it thickens. This will take 10 - 15 min. Then add the cream and continue boiling gently , uncovered and stirring often, until thickened , about 10 minutes.
4. Stir in all the chicken and partially cover. Cook over med-low heat for 10 minutes. If it starts to boil vigorously , lower heat. Stir often and gently so you don't break the fragile chicken.