You all might laugh, but one of my favorite cookbooks is Food & Wine's Reinventing the Classics. And it's really more a collection of recipes than a cookbook per se, as it doesn't represent a singular point of view or attempt to teach. Why is it a favorite? Because I want to eat everything in it; it's almost like they compiled it just for me so much is everything so well suited to my general style of cooking and penchant for well-seasoned food. As the title suggests, nearly every dish resonates as familiar on some level, but none are exactly what I've known before. And most are categorically better than what I've known before.
This Chicken Tikka is a perfect example. Attributed to chef Vikram Sunderam of Rasika in Washington DC it's "reinvented" in two main ways: It's unskewered, for one, and the wonderful savory marinade replaces Garam Marsala with Chinese Five Spice Powder. Not that there's anything wrong with Garam Marsala, but I enjoyed the difference. Thought I'd share.
Ingredients:
1 Tblsp mustard seeds
1 tsp Chinese 5 spice
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp turmeric
1 bay leaf
2 Tblsp minced fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 c plain whole milk yoghurt
kosher salt
2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs cut into 2-3" pieces
2 Tblsp unsalted butter, melted
In a spice grinder, pulse the mustard seeds with the other dry spices (incl bay leaf) until fine. Transfer to a bowl large enough to hold the remaining ingredients. Mix with the yoghurt etc then add the chicken pieces. Refrigerate at least two hours. Eight is optimum.
Light a grill. Remove the chicken from the marinade and brush each with the melted butter. Season with salt. Oil the grate and grill over high heat, turning occasionally, until lightly charred. Serve with the cilantro and yoghurt sauce below:
2 c cilantro
1 c mint
1 jalapeno, seeded and coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 Tblsp fresh lemon juice
1 c plain whole-milk yoghurt
In a blender, combine the first six ingredients and puree to a paste, then add yoghurt. Season with salt. Can be refrigerated up to two days.
