Bobby Flay's Throwdown! (33 page)

SERVES 4

1.
Preheat the oven to 325°F.

2.
Cook the bacon in a large, deep ovenproof sauté pan over medium-high heat until golden brown and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.

3.
Add the butter and oil to the rendered bacon fat in the pan, and heat over high heat, until it begins to shimmer.

4.
Meanwhile, put the flour in a shallow bowl and season liberally with salt and pepper. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper, dredge in the flour, and tap off any excess. Add the chicken to the sauté pan and sear on both sides until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.

5.
Add the onion and bell pepper to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and the serrano chile, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the curry mix and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and boil until reduced by three-quarters. Add the chicken stock, bring to a simmer, and boil for a few minutes to reduce slightly. Stir in the tomatoes, currants, thyme, and honey, season with a little salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer.

6.
Nestle the chicken thighs into the pan, and cover it with a tight-fitting lid. Braise in the oven for 35 minutes. Remove the lid, return the pan to the oven, and cook for 15 minutes.

7.
Remove the chicken to a platter and tent loosely with foil to keep warm. Place the sauté pan on the stove over high heat, and bring the sauce to a boil. Cook for a few minutes to reduce slightly. Then season with salt, pepper, and honey if needed, and stir in the parsley. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and top with the bacon, almonds, and more parsley.

Combine all the spices in a small bowl and mix together thoroughly.

NOTE

Serve with white rice cooked in unsweetened coconut milk and water and garnished with sliced green onion, if desired.

SERVES 4

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.
Pour the stock into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Put the currants in a small heatproof bowl and pour the hot stock over them. Set aside to plump.

3.
In another small bowl, combine the curry powder, garam masala, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper.

4.
Scatter the bacon in a 4- to 6-quart enameled cast-iron pot or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Stir the pieces around occasionally until the bacon is firm and just golden brown, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a small bowl.

5.
Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat in the pot, reserving the excess fat in a small bowl. Brown the chicken thighs, in batches, over medium-high heat, taking care not to crowd them in the pot, until they are golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. If the pot becomes too dry, add a little of the reserved bacon fat, 1 teaspoon at a time. Remove the chicken to a medium bowl.

6.
Add 2 teaspoons of the reserved bacon fat to the pot (if there is none left, use canola oil). Add the chile and toast until very fragrant, about 30 seconds per side. Add the carrots, bell peppers, onions, and garlic, and cook until slightly softened, about 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes, curry powder mixture, ginger, and the currants and their stock. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the tomatoes have cooked down to a puree and the sauce has thickened around the vegetables, about 8 minutes.

7.
Nestle the chicken thighs gently in the sauce so that the skin side faces up and is above the surface of the sauce. Tent the pot loosely with foil and transfer it to the middle rack of the oven. Bake until the country captain resembles a roiling stew around the chicken thighs, about 20 minutes.

8.
Remove the foil and bake until the sauce has thickened further and the chicken skin is just beginning to crisp, about 15 minutes.

9.
Remove from the oven, skim any excess fat from the surface, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Discard the chile.

10.
Spoon 1 cup hot white rice into each of 4 wide, deep bowls. Use tongs to arrange 3 thighs on top. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and rice, and garnish with the reserved bacon, almonds, and parsley.

Name: Robert Olguin
Establishment: Manny’s Buckhorn Tavern
Hometown: San Antonio, New Mexico
Website:
www.bobsbuckhornburgers.com
Phone: (575) 835-4423