The Gittings Recipes

While I realize that this might not be the most exciting post for some, it was (in it's entirety) part of the original Mike Gittings post. This isn't me sidestepping any blog responsibility. I just realized that I would eventually post Mike's recipe recommendations, and decided to do it right off the bat. Lot's of great stuff from his list to draw additional attention to, so this should be a productive recommend week. Anyway, here we go with the recipes (Ricky this is for you. And also, if I ever get a Ricky list I expect mashed beer potatoes to be on it):

Indian Potato Salad:

4 Cups cubed potatoes
3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 tsp whole cumin seeds
1.5 tsp salt (I cut this to 1 tsp for taste reasons, not health)
1.5 tsp Curry Powder
Pinch of cayenne
2 or 3 scallions, sliced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the potatoes until tender but not falling apart, about 5 min. after the water returns to a boil. While the potatoes cook, warm the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sizzle the cumin seeds for a few seconds, and then stir in the salt, curry powder and cayenne. Remove from the heat. Drain the cooked potatoes and place them in a bowl. Pour the hot seasoned oil over the potatoes and add the scallions, bell pepper, and cilantro. Stir.

Curry Chicken Salad:

4 Skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and diced
1 stalk celery, diced
4 green onions, chopped
1 mango, peeled, cored and diced
1/3 cup black beans
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp curry powder
¾ cup mayonnaise

Basically, mix everything in a large bowl and serve in pita sandwiches.

Masaman Curry Beef or Chicken (Thai):

1 lb boneless beef, such as tri-tip or flank steak, or 1 lb boneless chicken thighs
3 cups unsweetened coconut milk
¼ cup masaman curry paste
2.5 cups chicken or beef broth
3 med potatoes, peeled and cut in big bite sized chunks
1 large onion, cut in large chunks
3 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup dry-roasted peanuts
2 Tbsp lime juice or tamarind liquid

Slice beef into strips and set aside. In a medium saucepan or heavy skillet, bring 1 cup of the coconut milk to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant and beginning to thicken. Add the curry paste and cook 2 to 3 minutes, pressing and stirring to dissolve it into the coconut milk. Add the meat and cook 2 minutes more tossing to coat it with the sauce. Add the remaining 2 cups coconut milk, the broth, potatoes, onion, fish sauce, palm sugar and salt and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the peanuts and lime juice and transfer to a serving bowl.

Curry Tuna (Indian):

1.5 Tbsp Vegetable oil
1 small onion, peeled and cut into very fine half rings
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp curry powder
1 can tuna, preferably packed in oil
½ to 1 fresh hot green chili, diced
½-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into very fine slices, then strips
2 to 3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is quite hot, put in the onion and garlic. Stir and fry until the onion turns brown at the edges. Put in the curry powder and stir once or twice. Put in the tuna. Stir and break up any lumps. Turn the heat to low. Add the green chili, ginger and cilantro. Stir to mix, check for salt, adding if needed. Add a generous amount of black pepper. Mix well and remove from heat, serve hot, room temp or cold with rice or on pita bread.

(Holy Jeez, this guy cooks a lot)

Panang Beef in Red Curry Peanut Sauce:

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
½ cup water
½ lb boneless beef, such as flank steak or tri-tip, sliced into strips
2 Tbsp panang curry paste
2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
3 Tbsp ground or finely chopped peanuts or peanut butter
3 wild lime leaves, cut in fine threads (optional)
Handful of basil leaves

In a medium saucepan, stir together ½ cup of the coconut milk and the water and bring to a very gentle boil over medium heat. Sprinkle in the sliced beef, stirring to keep the pieces from sticking together, and simmer 5 minutes until meat is tender. With a slotted spoon, scoop the meat out into a bowl and set aside, leaving the coconut milk in pan to return to a gentle boil. Stir in the curry paste and cook, pressing and stirring to dissolve the paste, 3 to 4 minutes, until the sauce is fragrant and smooth. Return the beef and any juices to the pan, add the remaining ½ cup coconut milk and bring back to a gentle boil. Add the fish sauce, palm sugar, peanuts and lime leaves, if using. Stir well and simmer 3 to 4 minutes more, until the sauce is smooth. Stir in the basil leaves and remove from heat. Serve over rice.