Butter Chicken in 9 Steps

Chef's Table is a Netflix series about six award winning renowned chefs from myriad cultures, regions, and philosophies. In spite of their different backgrounds all of these chefs are ultimately preparing food that is a true representative of their unique identity and ecology. The documentary series with its beautiful music and photography illustrates that cooking has a theatrical element to its inception, creation, and execution.

All of the six chefs featured here illustrate that although the ultimate purpose of food is sustenance, a well thought out plate of food evokes childhood memories, and excites senses. Cooking is creative. It is a constantly evolving art form, as shown by the stories shared by the following remarkable chefs.

These chefs discuss the same recurring themes. Firstly, they all share the same passion for preserving the authenticity of the ingredients. They stress that a final dish can never taste better than the ingredients used in its preparation. The difference between a good dish and a fantastic dish is the quality of ingredients used. Secondly, they all strived to find their own unique voice. They went off the beaten path to create dishes that are a representative of their personalities. Lastly, in the end what made them remarkable was their hard work, determination, and perseverance. It takes time to come in terms with your own identity, and achieve excellence. But, they did not give up. I strongly urge you to watch this inspirational documentary series.

In this blogpost, I will be discussing the first episode about Chef Massimo Bottura. The discussion about Chefs Dan Barber, Francis Mallman, Niki Nakayama, Ben Shewry, and Magnus Nillson will be coming up in the subsequent posts. 

Episode 1: Massimo Bottura - Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy

Three Michelin Stars

Ranked Second in the World's 50 Best Restaurant Awards, 2015.

I first got to know about Chef Massimo Bottura when he appeared on last year's Masterchef Australia, my favorite reality cooking show. Chef Bottura in his restaurant offers traditional Modena ingredients with his unique modern reinterpretation. Massimo says that one of the main ingredients in his cooking is memory. When Chef Bottura first opened his restaurant in a small Italian town his modern take on traditional Italian cooking was both rejected and ridiculed by the locals and critics. But as Massimo's wife Lara Bottura explains, he flourished in the initial friction and resistance between the traditional Italian cooking and his contemporary interpretation.

In this episode, it was quite evident that Chef Bottura and his wife are true life and work partners, who have embraced the restaurant as an extension of their family life. Chef Bottura says, "Happiness is much more big if you share with others." I believe that is what he is able to achieve by creating a family run restaurant with his incredible wife. I think, who you ultimately choose to marry not only plays a key role in your personal growth, but also has a huge impact on your professional growth. Chef Bottura credits his wife in opening his eyes to the art world. Since cooking is a creative art form, Chef Bottura draws a lot of his inspirations from the art and imagery around him.

So without further adieu, let's talk about Butter Chicken. A good bowl of Butter Chicken has the umami flavor. It has the perfect balance of sweetness and sourness, spiciness and saltiness. This balance is achieved by using fresh tomatoes, which are cooked in aromatic spices, mace flower, cardamom, and a pinch of saffron. The freshest ingredients you will use, the better the curry will taste. In the summer I like to use heirloom tomatoes from our garden, and in winter Roma tomatoes do the job. Since the secret lies in achieving the perfect balance between sweetness and sourness, adjust the quantity of organic ketchup and honey accordingly. Also, roasted chicken adds a smoky flavor to the curry. I hope you will give this recipe a try. 

Butter Chicken
Butter ChickenStay tuned for the recipe going up on www.cultivateflavors.com.
Posted by Cultivate Flavors on Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 2 hours

Serves: 6

Ingredients

Marinade

Juice of a lemon

1/4 cups of full fat yogurt

2 tablespoons of garlic (chopped)

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of coriander

1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of turmeric

1/2 teaspoon of paprika

1 teaspoon of salt

2 teaspoons of tandoori masala (available at Indian grocery stores)

2 pounds of chicken thighs

Curry

5 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons of oil

6-8 green cardamom

2-3 mace flowers

6 cloves of garlic (sliced)

1 inch of ginger (roughly chopped)

2 pounds of tomatoes (diced)

a pinch of saffron

3 green chillies (thinly sliced, seed and membrane removed)

1 teaspoon of paprika

1/4 teaspoon of cayenne

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of honey

1 tablespoon of ketchup

1/2 teaspoon of dried fenugreek leaves

1 cup of chicken stock (optional)

1 cup of fresh whipping cream

1/2 bunch of cilantro leaves for garnishing

Step 1: In a mixing bowl whisk together lemon, yogurt, garlic, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, paprika, salt, and tandoori masala. Coat the chicken with the marinade. Cover and marinate overnight.

Step 2: In a 425 degrees Fahrenheit oven, grill the chicken thighs for 30-40 minutes, or until tender. 

Step 3: In a medium saucepan, over high heat, add 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of oil. Once the butter starts to bubble, add cardamom and mace flowers, and give them a quick stir. 

Step 4: Add garlic and ginger, cook until garlic has a slight golden hue. 

Step 5: Add tomatoes, cover and cook on medium heat until the tomatoes have softened. 

Step 6: Transfer the tomato sauce into a blender, and blitz to make a puree.

Step 7: In the same saucepan over medium high heat, add 3 tablespoons of butter, and sliced green chillies. Add the pureed tomato sauce.

Step 8: Add paprika, cayenne, salt, honey, ketchup, dried fenugreek leaves, and grilled chicken thighs.

Step 9: Stir in chicken stock and cream. Cover and cook on low heat for an hour, or until all of the butter goodness is floating on the top. 

Serve with naan or rice.