My Boyfriend Dated A Chef

A refreshing combination of sweet and heat, this curry dish was simply delicious! If you would like the dish heat-free, subtract the jalapeno’s at the end of the recipe. It’s still fantastic.

Makes 2-4 servings. (Depending on who or what you are feeding!)  Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking.

INGREDIENTS:
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 Tbs. red curry paste
14-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
1 lb. shrimp (21 to 25 per lb.), peeled and deveined
2 cups sugar snap peas (7 to 8 oz.), trimmed
2 Tbs. fish sauce
1 Tbs. palm sugar or light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
A handful of fresh Thai or Italian basil leaves
chinese style noodles for serving (I highly recommend Nasoya brand noodles)
1 long, slender fresh red chile (such as red jalapeño or serrano), thinly sliced on the diagonal (optional) (I used a green jalapeno since red were not available in my grocery store.)

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the oil in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan over medium heat until a bit of curry paste just sizzles when added to the pan. Add all the curry paste and cook, pressing and stirring with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula to soften the paste and mix it in with the oil, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Add the coconut milk and broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring often, for 5 minutes, allowing the flavors to develop.

Increase the heat to medium high and let the curry come to a strong boil. Add the shrimp, sugar snap peas, and stir well. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp curl and turn pink, about 2 minutes. Add the fish sauce, sugar, and salt and stir to combine. Remove from the heat.

Tear the basil leaves in half (or quarters if they are large) and stir them into the curry. Let rest for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.

Serve hot or warm with chinese noodles, garnished with the chile slices (if using).

I know your not supposed to play with your food but I couldn’t resist taking the chicken all dressed and ready to go to the backyard for a photo shoot. And yes, my neighbor did see me walk out the door with it. Oh well, he thinks I’m weird anyway. Anyway, beer can chicken can be made in the oven or the grill. I chose the oven just so I could be sure the gas on the grill didn’t run out. The BBQ rub is delicious. I normally don’t eat the skin but this was so crispy! I will definitely be making this again soon.

Serves 2-4. Beer Can Chicken recipe from Rick Browne. BBQ rub recipe from Steven Raichlen’s Beer-Can Chicken.

INGREDIENTS:
Chicken
3-4 lb chicken
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 can of beer
ChickCAN rack

BBQ Rub
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup paprika
2 Tbsp. pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350°F or turn on your grill to Medium.

For the BBQ rub, mix the salt, brown sugar, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl and stir to mix. Store the extra rub in an airtight jar away from heat or light; it will keep for about 6 months. Makes about 3/4 cup.

Thaw and clean a whole chicken, removing giblets from the cavity. Rinse chicken inside and out under cold water, drain and blot dry with paper towels.

Using a 12-oz. can of your favorite beer, pour out or consume half of the contents. Place the half empty can of beer inside the ChickCAN rack. Place the chicken over the ChickCAN rack and beer can.

Sprinkle 1 tsp. of the rub inside the body cavity and 1/2 tsp. of the rub inside the neck cavity of the chicken. Drizzle the oil over the outside of the bird and rub or brush it all over the skin. Sprinkle the outside of the bird with 1 Tbsp. of rub and rub it all over the skin. Spoon the remaining 1 1/2 tsp. of rub into the beer through a hole in the top of the can. Don’t worry if the beer foams up.

Stuff a small potato or onion in the neck cavity to seal the vapors. Place in a pie pan with 1/4 cup of water.

Cook chicken for 1-2 hours or until skin is dark golden brown and very crisp. (My oven with a 4 lb. chicken took 2 hours). Using a meat thermometer, temperature should reach 180°F in the thigh.