Here's a recipe from one of our cooking classes at WKCTC last year. I haven't found the cookbook from which this recipe comes. I think I loaned it out to someone, but I will try to get that information and post it here. Regardless, this is worth making. It looks like alot steps, but if you read over the recipe a few times, it's not nearly so complicated as it looks at first glance. A piece of advice; assemble all of your ingedients and pre-measure before you start cooking. This goes for all cooking. I always find it tempting to just jump right in and start lighting the burners, but especially when I'm unfamiliar with a recipe, I just get myself in trouble.
Kao Moke Gai
Chicken with crispy shallots in yellow rice
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 4 to 6 chunks for each breast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus vegetable oil for deep frying shallots
5 quarter size slice of fresh ginger
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped garlic
1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
2 cups jasmine rice or regular long-grain white rice
2 3/4 cup water
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots, cut crosswise
4 small cucumbers, peeled and sliced on the diagonal into thin ovals
A handful of fresh cilantro
In a small bowl comine the cayenne, cumin, coriander, turmeric, white pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Mix together well. Sprinkle half of the spice mixture over the chicken, rubbing in the spices to coat each piece well. Set aside both the chicken and the remaining spice mixture.
In a medium stockpot, heat the two tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and brown well on both sides. Remove the chicken to a shallow bowl, cover and set aside.
Pour off some of the oil leaving about two tablespoons in the pan. Be careful not to remove any of the brown bits left from cooking the chicken. Reheat the oil remaining in the pan and add the ginger, turning and pressing it into the oil for about 30 seconds. Add the garlic and toss with a spatula until golden brown, 30 to 45 seconds.
Add the onion and the remaining spice mixture. Stir-fry until the onion is softened and translucent, about 1 minute. Add the rice, toss until the spiced oil coats and colors each grain.
Add the water and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt to the pan. Bring the rice to a vigorous boil over high heat, stirring occasionally to discourage grains from sticking to the bottom. Boil the rice until the surface becomes dry and the grains begin to swell, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Return the chicken pieces to the pan and, using a spatula or wooden spoon, bury them, one by one, near the bottom of the pan, under the partially cooked rice. Add any chicken juices that have collected in the bowl to the pan as well. Smooth out the rice to hide the chicken completely, cover, and cook over low heat until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile in a small skillet pour in oil to a depth of two inches. Heat the oil over medium-high heat uhntil hot but not smoking. Drop a piece of shallot into the pan. If it sizzles immediately the oil is ready. Sprinkle the shallots over the surface of the oil, and, using a slotted spoon, separate and turn them quickly. As soon as the shallots are light brown, remove them with the slotted spoon and drain on paper towels until cool enough to touch. Then lay them out on a small plate and set aside uncovered.
When the rice and chicken are done, remove the pan from the heat and let stand uncovered for 15 minutes while you prepare the sauce and garinshes. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, sugar and the remaing 1/2 teaspoon of salt, stirring or whisking well until the sugar is completely dissolved and the liquid thickens slightly. Sprinkle the chili slices on top of this sauce and transfer this sweet sour dressing to a small serving bowl.
To serve, dig the chicken out of the rice, scraping away any clinging rice grains., remove and discard the ginger slices, and mound the rice on a serving platter. Arrange the chicken on the platter with the rice, and garish the dish with the cucumber slices, cilantro leaves, and crispy shallots. Serve warm or at room temperature with sauce alongside.
