Chicken Curry

Ingredients

• the chicken is cut up
• put the pieces in water for half an hour
• two ounces of butter
• four ounces of onion sliced
• three ounces of carrot sliced
• six peppercorns
• a bunch of herbs
• a saltspoonful of salt
• half one of sugar
• a tablespoonful and a half of Curry-powder
• a dessertspoonful of Curry-paste
• a tablespoonful of creme de viz, or rice-flour
• a tablespoonful and a half of desiccated cocoanut
• one tablespoonful of ground sweet almonds
• enough green ginger to make a teaspoonful
• a teaspoonful of red-currant jelly
• the juice of half a lemon
• an ounce of butter
• a one-ounce shallot minced fine

Method

1. 1

   Cut the chicken into pieces and soak in water for half an hour.

2. 2

   Dry and dredge with flour.

3. 3

   Boil giblets and vegetables to make broth.

4. 4

   Fry minced onion in butter until yellowish-brown.

5. 5

   Prepare 'Curry stuff' and nutty infusion.

6. 6

   Add 'Curry stuff' to onion and fry.

7. 7

   Gradually add broth, then simmer chicken in the sauce.

8. 8

   Add final flavorings before serving.

As published

This recipe was extracted from Mrs. Roundell's Practical cookery book (1898) by Roundell, Charles Mrs, page 290. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

Chicken Curry as an example : 1. When the chicken is cut up, put the pieces in water for half an hour, then dry them, set them aside, and dredge a little flour over them. 2. Take all the giblets of the chicken, including head and feet, with any scraps of meat that can be spared, put them into a saucepan with a teaspoonful of glaze (or of Brand’s essence), four ounces of onion sliced, three ounces of carrot sliced, six peppercorns, a bunch of herbs, a saltspoonful of salt and half one of sugar. Cover them with cold water, boil, simmer, and make the best broth you can. When the broth is ready, strain it into a bowl, and skim it clean. There ought to be from a pint to a pint and a half of broth. 3. Take a fire-proof casserole. Weigh four ounces of onion and mince it small. Put two ounces of butter into the casserole, and set it over a moderate fire. When the butter has melted put in the minced onion, and leave it to fry very gently, gradually colouring TO MAKE THE CURRY 421 to a nice yellowish-brown. The onion must on no account burn, but it must colour. In India the small red shallots are used for Curries, but here ordinary onions do nearly as well. Some people prefer the mild Portugal onions. Be careful not to use more than two ounces of butter to the four ounces of onion, or the Curry will be greasy. 4. Whilst the minced onion is cooking in the casserole, prepare the “ Curry stuff,” and the nutty infusion. For the “ Curry stuff” put into a soup-plate a tablespoonful and a half of Curry- powder, a dessertspoonful of Curry-paste, a saltspoonful of salt, and a tablespoonful of creme de viz, or rice-flour. Turn them to a paste by moistening them slightly with the broth, and mix all well together. For the nutty infusion (which is indis- pensable in a good Curry), put into a small basin a tablespoonful and a half of desiccated cocoanut, and one tablespoonful of ground sweet almonds. Pour over them a breakfastcupful of boiling water, cover them, and leave them to infuse. The milk produced is the infusion from the white lining of the cocoanut, scraped, and soaked. This is used in India, and not the water, often called milk, which is found inside a cocoanut. If the flavour of cocoanut is disliked, make an infusion of a quarter of a pound of sweet almonds pounded with one bitter one, moisten with a breakfastcupful of boiling milk or broth, and let them steep. 5. The minced onion in the casserole will now be coloured. Add to it the “Curry stuff” (not the nutty infusion), and fry all together very gently and carefully for ten minutes at least. The slow frying is necessary in order to overcome a certain crude taste w’hich exists in the Curry-powder, and which, when treated in the hasty fashion of English cooks, imparts a most disagree- able snuffy flavour to the whole dish. Avoid the mistake of putting in the “ Curry stuff” and the broth together ; this is just as fatal as to add broth to an uncooked rou.c. The “ Curry stuff” must be slowly fried in the onions and butter before the addition of any broth. 6. When the frying is finished add the pint of broth, a little at a time. If a thickish Curry sauce is liked stir into the fried “Curry stuff” a dessertspoonful of creme de riz; if this is not added the sauce will only be a little thicker than ordinary gravy. 7. Stir well, increase the heat slightly, bring gradually to the 422 CURRIES boil, skim, and set the casserole in the bain-marie whilst you prepare the chicken. 8. Melt an ounce of butter in a saute-pan, add a one-ounce shallot minced fine, and fry for two minutes. Put in the pieces of chicken, and lightly fry them. As soon as they are slightly coloured put the pieces of chicken into the casserole, and leave them to marinade in the Curry sauce for at least half an hour. 9. Now prepare the final flavourings of the Curry. Grate and pound to a paste with a little butter enough green ginger to make a teaspoonful. Mix a teaspoonful of red-currant jelly with the juice of half a lemon

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.