Skye Aubrey's Chicken Curry with Rice

Skye Aubrey's Chicken Curry with Rice

3 chicken breasts, split
1 can (13-3/4 oz.) chicken broth
1 whole onion, quartered
1 whole clove
1 cup celery slices
1 cup carrot slices
1 teaspoon basil
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon ground chili powder
Dash of Tabasco sauce
1 cup bottled duck sauce
Hot cooked rice

In large saucepan, place chicken, chicken broth, onion, clove, celery, carrots, basil, thyme and rosemary. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender and the chicken is done (about 25-30 minutes). Cool; then refrigerate overnight. Remove skin and bones from chicken. Dice chicken meat and return to broth. Bring to boil. Stir in salt, pepper, ginger, curry powder, chili powder and Tabasco sauce. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes (or just until flavors are blended). Stir in duck sauce, heat and serve over hot cooked rice. Serves 4-6.

For the rice:

1 cup uncooked regular milled white rice
2 cups cold water
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. butter
2 tbsps. minced parsley

Combine ingredients in a 3-quart saucepan that has a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir once or twice. Lower heat to simmer. Cover, cook about 14 minutes. If rice is not quite tender, cook 2-6 minutes
longer. Do not stir during cooking. After rice is cooked, remove lid. Add butter, minced parsley; toss rice with a fork, and turn into serving dish.

The accoutrements: Serve any or all of the following as side dishes to glorify the curry: good grade chutney (mango or peach), slivered almonds, macadamia, cashew or pine nuts, bacon bits (crisply cooked, well-drained), currants (or raisins plumped in brandy), chopped scallions, candied preserved ginger, watercress, chopped cucumber slices mixed with yogurt spiced with Tabasco and-or chilies, sieved hard-cooked egg, shredded fresh coconut, sliced banana, Bombay duck, or finely chopped fresh apple moistened lightly with lime (or lemon) juice mixed with finely chopped fresh mint.

Thoughts: Skye's curry is simple, pure, fiery and fantastic! For less adventuresome tonsils, use less ginger and pepper to flavor curry. Curry lovers may prefer plain steamed or saffron rice (saute 1/2 cup chopped onion in 2 tbsps. butter before adding to water in recipe above with 1/4 tsp. dried, crushed saffron). Her accoutrements can turn a simple curry into a veritable rijsttafel.