Chicken & Pumpkin Braised in Green Curry with Pressed Ricotta
Ingredients:
4 cups winter squash or pumpkin, peeled and sliced into rounds
3 tablespoons sunflower oil
sea salt
1/2 cup diced onion
4 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 cups chicken stock
4 cups coconut milk
4 chicken breasts
1 cup fresh chopped cilantro, plus 4 sprigs for garnish
1 cup chopped spinach
1 cup chopped mizuna
2 green chiles, such as jalapeños, deseeded
¼ cup garlic cloves
2 fresh lime leaves
1 tablespoon dried shrimp
lemon juice
For the ricotta cheese:
1 quart whole milk
2 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons heavy cream
sea salt
Directions:
First, make the ricotta: In a medium pot over high heat, heat the milk until its temperature reaches 145°F on a candy thermometer. Remove the pot from the heat and, while stirring, add the lemon juice. Let the milk stand for 10 minutes, then separate the curds from the whey and transfer to a small bowl. If the curds do not fully separate, return the pot to the heat until they separate. Stir in the cream and season with salt. Wrap the curds in cheesecloth, forming a ball. Place in a bowl and let drain in the refrigerator overnight.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a medium bowl, toss the pumpkin with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season with salt and spread the pumpkin on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until tender and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven to cool.
In a medium pot over high heat, sauté half of the onions and half of the ginger in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil until the onion just begins to color, about 3 minutes. Pour in the stock and 2 cups of the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Season the chicken breasts with salt and add to the pot. Poach the chicken until firm to the touch and cooked through. Remove the pot from the heat and let stand 5 minutes.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the cilantro, spinach, mizuna, chiles, remaining 2 tablespoons ginger, remaining 1/4 cup onion, the garlic, lime leaves and dried shrimp. Process until the mixture forms a paste, then transfer to a medium pot over low heat. Stir in the remaining 2 cups coconut milk. Heat gently until warmed through. Season with salt and lemon juice to taste.
Form the ricotta cheese into 8 equal pieces. Add the cheese and the pumpkin to the curry and heat gently until warmed through. Add the poached chicken.
Divide the curry among four large bowls. Garnish with the cilantro sprigs and serve immediately.
Farm Fork Food by Eric Skokan © 2014 Kyle Books.
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