Wild Ginger

I love Szechuan food, and even though Kung Pao Chicken is probably something invented by Chinese immigrants in America (Peanuts? An American invention in the 19th century by George Washington Carver), its one of my favorites probably only surpassed by Mongolian Beef.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. chicken breast, boned and cut into 1-inch cubes.
4 tbsp. soy sauce
1½ tbsp. cold water
Cornstarch
¼ tbsp. garlic salt
4 dried red chilis or more to taste (Chinese red chilis or Arbot chilis)
1 tbsp. rice wine
1 tbsp sugar
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. sesame olk
Oil for deep frying
1 tsp. peeled and minced ginger root
½ cup peanuts

PREPARATION

• Combine chicken, 2 tbsp. soy sauce, cold water, 1½ tbsp. cornstarch, and garlic salt in a bowl. Stir evenly in one direction and let marinate for 30 minutes.
• Remove tips and seeds from chiles and cut into 1-inch pieces.
• Combine remaining soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, 1 tsp. cornstarch, salt, and sesame oil in small bowl.
• Heat 2 to 3 inches of oil in wok to 400°F
• Add chicken and fry 30 seconds
• Remove chicken and drain off all but 2 tbsp. of oil
• Heat oil and fry chiles until black
• Add gingerroot, peanuts and chicken, stirring and tossing together
• Add soy-wine mixture and cook, stirring, just until thickened

Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Traditionally, this is a veal dish. But a local restaurant makes it with chicken breasts and Cherie and I love it. The acidic zing of the lemon with the salt of the capers make for a well balanced dish.

INGREDIENTS
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, patted dry (2 1/2 to 3 pounds total)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp capers, drained
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

PREPARATION

• Cover the chicken breasts with a piece of plastic wrap and, using a meat pounder, flatten each breast to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Put the flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour and shake off any excess.
• In a large sauté pan, heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. When the foaming subsides, add the chicken and cook until golden brown on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the chicken and brown the other side, 1 to 2 minutes. When done, remove the chicken from the pan, sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper, and set aside.
• Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice and capers, scraping up any brown bits and pieces left from the chicken. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
• Return the chicken to the pan, turn the heat to medium, and heat for 1 minute. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

As an homage to Julia Child, and to my friend Peter for whom this is one of his favorite dishes to cook, I present Julia Child's recipe for Coq Au Vin.

INGREDIENTS
½ cup
lardons*, cut into 1/4 by 1 1/2-inch strips (optional)
2 or more tbsp olive oil
2½ lbs ready-cut frying chicken (a selection of parts, or all of one kind), thoroughly dried
¼ cup Cognac or Armagnac

Salt and pepper
1 bay leaf
¼ tsp dried thyme
16 to 20 small white onions, peeled (may be frozen)
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups red wine (Burgundy, Côtes du Rhône, or Pinot Noir)
About 2 cups brown chicken stock or beef bouillon
2 cloves garlic, mashed or minced
1 tbsp tomato paste
¾ lb fresh mushrooms, trimmed, washed, and quartered

*Lardons: (Pronounced larh-DOHN) Fatty bacon that has been first diced, blanched, and then fried.

PREPARATION

• If you are using lardons, sautéseveral minutes in 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy-bottomed casserole until lightly browned; remove lardons to a side dish and leave fat in pan. (Otherwise, film pan with 1/8 inch of oil.)
• Heat fat or oil in pan to moderately hot, add chicken, not crowding pan; turn frequently to brown nicely on all sides. Pour in the Cognac, shake pan a few seconds until bubbling hot, then ignite Cognac with a match. Let flame a minute, swirling pan by its handle to burn off alcohol; extinguish with pan cover.
• Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper; add bay leaf and thyme. Place onions around the chicken. Cover and cook slowly 10 minutes, turning once.
• Uncover pan and sprinkle on the flour, turning chicken and onions so flour is absorbed; cook 3 to 4 minutes more, turning once or twice.
• Remove from heat, gradually stir and swirl in the wine and enough stock or bouillon to almost cover the chicken. Add the browned lardons, garlic, and tomato paste to the pan. Cover and simmer slowly 25 to 30 minutes, then test chicken; remove those pieces that are tender, and continue cooking the rest a few minutes longer. If onions are not quite tender, continue cooking them; then return all chicken to the pan, add mushrooms, and simmer 4 to 5 minutes. Taste carefully, and correct seasoning. Sauce should be just thick enough to coat chicken and vegetables lightly. If too thin, boil down rapidly to concentrate; if too thick, thin out with spoonfuls of bouillon.

This is a little more of a southern-fried chicken meets buffalo wings type treatment: an extra coating of flour makes for a more crunchy chicken. Marinating in the hot sauce gives 'em more zing.

INGREDIENTS
For the blue chees dressingg
1 cup sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp white vinegar
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 tsp minced shallots
½ tsp minced garlic
&frac; lb blue cheese, crumbled

For the buffalo wings
30 wings, small wing joint removed
2 cups hot sauce
1 cup Worcestershire
1 ½ cups flour
Kosher salt
Cayenne pepper
2 eggs
¼ cup whole milk

Oil for deep-frying

Celery sticks, for serving

PREPARATION
MAKE THE BLUE CHEESE DRESSING

• In a mixing bowl and using a wire whisk, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar, parsley, shallots, and garlic, blending until smooth. Gently stir in the crumbled cheese until completely mixed in.

MAKE THE BUFFALO WINGS

• Place the wings in a glass or other non-reactive bowl and add 1 cup of the hot sauce and the Worcestershire sauce. Mix thoroughly, being sure all the wings are coated, then cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes.
• Place the flour in a separate mixing bowl and season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste. In a separate bowl, prepare an egg wash by whisking together the eggs and milk until well blended. Working with all three bowls (wings, flour mixture, and egg wash), first dredge each wing in the flour mixture; then dip the wing into the egg wash; and finally dredge the wing completely in the flour mixture, coating it evenly.
• Deep-fry the wings for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the batter achieves a crisp, uniform texture. When cooked through, set aside to drain on paper towels or the non-printed side of a paper grocery bag.

TO SERVE

• Place the fried wings in a large bowl and drench with the remaining 1 cup hot sauce (or less, to taste). Serve with the blue cheese dipping sauce and celery sticks on the side — and plenty of napkins!

This is Fuchsia Dunlap's recipe and I've shameless appropriated it here because its damn yummy. Fuschia's recipe reflects the Taiwanese approach which, as I've found with a lot of Taiwanese takes on Cantonese or Hunan dishes, far less sweet than the sticky General Tso's Chicken we're used to eating in restaurants, and I rather like it.

INGREDIENTS
Sauce
1 tbsp double-concentrate tomato paste, mixed with 1 tablespoon water
1/2 tsp potato starch (corn starch can be substituted)
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
11/2 tsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tbsp chicken stock or water

Chicken
12 oz (about 4 to 5) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp light soy sauce
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp potato starch (corn starch can be substituted)
1 quart peanut oil, more as needed, for frying
6 to 10 dried red chile peppers
2 tsp finely chopped ginger
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp sesame oil
Scallions, sliced thinly, for garnish.

PREPARATION
1. Make the sauce: Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, and set aside.

2. Make the chicken: Unfold the chicken thighs; lay on a cutting board. Remove as much of the sinew as possible. (If some parts are very thick, cut in half horizontally.) Slice a few shallow crosshatches into the meat; cut each thigh into roughly 1/4-inch slices, and place in a large bowl. Add the soy sauces and egg yolk; mix well. Stir in the potato starch and 2 teaspoons peanut oil; set aside.

3. Using scissors, snip the chile peppers into 1/4-inch pieces, discarding seeds. Set aside.

4. Pour 3 1/2 cups peanut oil into a large wok or deep saucepan or enough oil to rise 1 1/2 inches from the bottom. Set over high heat until oil reaches 350 to 400 degrees. Add half the chicken; fry until crisp and deep golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a plate. Repeat with second batch of chicken. Pour oil into a heatproof container, and wipe the wok or saucepan clean.

5. Place wok or saucepan over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons peanut oil. When hot, add chile peppers and stir-fry for a few seconds, until they just begin to change color. Add the ginger and garlic; stir-fry for a few seconds longer, until fragrant. Add the sauce, stirring as it thickens. Return chicken to wok, and stir vigorously to coat. Remove from heat; stir in the sesame oil, and top with scallions. Serve with rice.

Kung Pao Chicken is a gratifying medley of chicken, golden peanuts, and bright red chiles. The sauce is a light sweet-and-sour base pepped up with a deep chile spiciness and a trace of Sichuan pepper that will make your lips tingle pleasantly. The ingredients are all cut in harmony, the chicken in small cubes and the scallion in short pieces to complement the peanuts. The chicken should be just cooked and wonderfully succulent; the nuts are added at the very last minute so they keep their crispness.

INGREDIENTS
2 (about 2/3 lb)boneless chicken (I actually prefer to use thighs, but suit your own taste!)
3 garlic cloves and an equivalent amount of fresh ginger
5 scallions, white parts only
2 tbsp peanut oil
10 (or so) dried red chilies, preferably Sichuanese but Arbol chilies are perfectly fine
1 tsp whole Sichuan pepper (try to acquire Sichuan pepper if you can, but white pepper will suffice)
2/3 cup roasted unsalted peanuts

MARINADE
½ tsp salt
2 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp Shaoxing rice wine
2¼ teaspoons cornstarch
1 tbsp water

SAUCE
3 tsp sugar
1 1/8 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp light soy sauce
3 tsp black Chinese vinegar (or 2 tsp balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp red wine vinegar)
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp chicken stock or water

PREPARATION

• Cut the chicken as evenly as possible into 1/2-inch strips and then cut these into small cubes. Place in a small bowl and mix in the marinade ingredients.
• Peel and thinly slice the garlic and ginger, and chop the scallions into chunks as long as their diameter (to match the chicken cubes).
• Snip the chiles in half or into 2-inch sections - discard as many seeds as possible.
• Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
• Heat with 2 tbsp of oil and heat over a high flame. When the oil is hot but not yet smoking, add the chiles and Sichuan pepper and stir-fry briefly until they are crisp and the oil is spicy and fragrant. Take care not to burn the spices (you can remove the wok from the heat if necessary to prevent overheating).
• Quickly add the chicken and fry over a high flame, stirring constantly. As soon as the chicken cubes have separated, add the ginger, garlic, and scallions and continue to stir-fry for a few minutes until they are fragrant and the meat is cooked through (test one of the larger pieces to make sure).
• Give the sauce a stir and add it to the wok, continuing to stir and toss. As soon as the sauce has become thick and shiny, add the peanuts, stir them in, and serve.

VARIATIONS
The same dish can be made with cubes of pork, shrimp, or prawns. Cashew nuts can be used instead of peanuts for an elegant touch.

The Thai take on stir-fry, like the southern Chinese, tends toward the simple and adds the clean, bright taste of fresh ingredients with a little fresh chile heat and flavor.

This dish is best made with the dark meat that comes from the thighs or drumsticks of a chicken, though it is perfectly fine if made from boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Chop the chicken as fine as possible.

INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp vegetable oil (preferabley canola or an oil that has a high smoke point)
2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1½ tsp finely chopped Thai or serrano chile
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
½tsp sugar
2 red Thai chiles, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 cup firmly packed Thai basil leaves

Serve with/over jasmine rice.

PREPARATION

• Heat oil over high heat in a wok or large skillet and stir-fry garlic until fragrant - about 15 seconds
• Add chicken and stir-fry until opaque - about one minute
• Add fish sauce, soy sacue and sugar and stir fry until chicken is opaque throughout - about 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat. Add sliced chiles and basil and toss just until basil wilts. Turn out onto a platter and serve at once before basil loses its bright green color.

Classic lemon chicken - one of those Chinese dishes that you know even the non-adventurous will love. After all, who doesn't love fried chicken...this one just has a yummy, sweet lemon sauce....right? This one's better than you'll get at most restaurants, provided you don't over cook the chicken (hint: stir fry quickly over high heat).

INGREDIENTS
¾ pound chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp butter
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 stalk lemongrass, bottom 4-inches minced (about 1 tbsp)
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
Zest of one lemon.

Marinade
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp fish sauce

Sauce
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup chicken broth
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp cornstarch

PREPARATION

• Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl - add chicken and stir to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes.
• Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl; stir until sugar is dissolved.
• Heat wok over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add oil and butter; stir until butter melts.
• Add garlic, lemongrass, and cook; stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add chicken and stir-fry, until it is cooked through, about 4 minutes.
• Add sauce and bring to a boil while stirring, until sauce thickens slightly.
• Add lemon zest and toss to evenly coat meat.

I'm not sure where I got this recipe, but its been living various hard disks in my life for at least 15 years. If its yours, I apologize for snarfing with no credit.

Anyhow - a Cassoulet is a traditional dish from the South of France that's a staple in the winter. No wonder I love it - its a stew, usually made with lovely products from the charcouterie: sausage, duck confit, yum. Serve with a crusty bread, a salad and a nice bottle of wine.A perfect meal, in my humble opinion.

INGREDIENTS
2 lbs small white beans such as Great Northern, soaked overnight in plenty of cold water
½ pound salt pork or thick-cut bacon, blanched
2 halved onions and 1 chopped onion
1 smashed garlic clove and 1 minced glove
Bouquet garni: 4 sprigs parsley, 3 sprigs thyme, and 2 bay leaves
2 quarts chicken stock
1 pound pork sausages
4 tbsp rendered duck fat or olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
1½ pounds red tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or one 28-ounce can of tomatoes
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 whole confit of duck, cut in 8 pieces, or 8 whole legs, halved on the bone
1 ½ cups toasted bread crumbs

PREPARATION

• Drain and put them in an 8-quart casserole with the bacon, the halved onions, the smashed garlic, bouquet garni, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil over moderately high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer over low heat, uncovered, for about an hour. Remove the bacon and cut it into 1-inch pieces. Strain the beans, reserving both the beans and the cooking liquid and discarding the onions and bouquet garni. Set the beans aside in a bowl.
• To cook the sausages, prick each one in two places with a fork and put them in the bottom or a 10-inch sauté pan with 1/4 inch water. Cook over medium heat, turning from time to time, until the water has evaporated and the sausages are browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove them and cut at an angle into 1-inch pieces.
• Add 2 tablespoons of the duck fat to the pan with the chopped onion and cook, stirring from time to time until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and continue to cook and stir for another minute. Add the white wine and cook for another minute. Stir in the tomatoes and continue cooking for another 5 minutes, stirring from time to time. Season well with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
• To assemble the cassoulet, layer one-third of the beans on the bottom of the casserole and add half the bacon or salt pork, sausages, and duck confit (on the bone). Cover this layer with half the tomato mixture. Repeat with another third of the beans and the remaining bacon, sausages, and duck confit. Cover this with the rest of the tomatoes and then the beans. Add salt and pepper to taste to the bean-cooking liquid. Pour in enough of the bean liquid to come up just to the top of the beans. Cover the entire cassoulet with bread crumbs, dot with the remaining 2 tablespoons duck fat, and bake in a 350-degree oven for an hour and 15 minutes, or until the bread crumbs have formed a crust. You can break through the crust with the back of a spoon three or four times during the cooking to allow the juices to help form a crust.

My Indian friends tell me that this is more of a Lahori-style curry than something you'd find in the middle or South of India (Lohore is an ancient city, now located in Pakistan). It's a bit more "rustic", with roughly chopped chicken still on the bone and large chunks of potatoe in it. Its a very simple curry, with a short list of ingredients so its a good introduction to making your own curry. Make sure to use the whole spices here - it makes a huge difference.

INGREDIENTS
One 4 lb chicken, cut into 8 to 10 pieces and skinned
3 medium red boiling potatoes, peeled and quartered
¾ tsp turmeric
½ tsp cayenne pepper
Salt
1½ medium onions, roughly diced
5 garlic cloves
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut in half crosswise
3 tbsp canola oil
1-inch piece cinnamon stick
12 green cardamom pods
9 whole cloves
10 black peppercorns
3 whole dried red chiles
1 tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 fresh hot green chile, cut in half
2 large tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
frac14; cup plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
1 cup water
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1 lemon

PREPARATION

• Combine the chicken, potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon of the turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon of the cayenne, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl and stir to coat the chicken and potato with the spices. Let stand while you make the sauce.
• Finely mince the onions, garlic, and ginger in a food processor and set aside.
• Combine 2 tablespoons of the oil, the cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves, black peppercorns, red chiles, coriander, and cumin in a large casserole over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until the cinnamon unfurls, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the minced onion mixture, the green chile, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until the vegetables brown around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Remove the cinnamon and green chile, and stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon turmeric and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Transfer to a food processor or blender and purée until smooth; set aside.
• Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and potatoes and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add the yogurt, 1 tablespoon at a time, and stir well after each addition. Cook, stirring, 2 minutes, to evaporate some of the moisture.
• Add the puréed tomato mixture and bring to a boil. Stir in the water. Return to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Stir every 5 to 8 minutes and scrape the bottom of the pan to keep the sauce from sticking. Then uncover and cook 5 more minutes to reduce and thicken. Stir in the cilantro and lemon juice. Taste for salt and serve hot.

Roast chicken is a pretty basic, universal dish, isn't it? Who didn't grow up with it? I grew up eating chicken cut up into pieces and baked, with a variety of treatments on top, usually very simple and letting the wonderful taste of roast chicken stand primarily on its own. When Cherie and I started cooking together, a whole roast chicken became another favorite, usually rubbed with salt, pepper and thyme and stuffed with a cut up lemon.

But then we saw an episode of Good Eats and Alton Brown changed how we cook chicken. If you cut out the spine and butterfly the chicken it cooks more evenly (and rapidly). This method produces a succulent, delicious chicken. Choose to make the sauce or not as you see fit - we usually don't (watching our girlish figures, you know). My take on the recipe is a little simplified and substitutes hard apple cider for wine, but Alton's recipe uses red wine in the same measurement. If you got the wine route, choose a lighter and fruity red like a Pinot Noir or Beaujolais.

INGREDIENTS
1½ tsp black peppercorns
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 lemon, zested
Extra virgin olive oil
Onions, carrots and celery cut into 3 to 4-inch pieces
3 to 4-pound broiler/fryer chicken
1 cup hard apple or pear cider
8 ounces chicken stock
2 to 3 sprigs thyme
Canola oil

PREPARATION

• Position the oven rack 8 inches from the heating source of your oven and turn broiler to high. Crack peppercorns with a mortar and pestle (or crush with the bottom of a pot in a large skillet) until coarsely ground. Mix crushed pepper well with garlic and salt in a small bowl - add lemon zest and work just until you can smell lemon. Add just enough oil to form a paste.
• Check out your refrigerator for onions, carrots and celery that are a little past their prime. Cut vegetables into pieces and place in a deep roasting pan.
• Place chicken on a plastic cutting board breast-side down. Using kitchen shears, cut ribs down one side of back bone and then the other and remove. Open chicken like a book and remove the keel bone separating the breast halves by slicing through the thin membrane covering it, then by placing two fingers underneath the bone and levering it out. Turn chicken breast-side up and spread out like a butterfly by pressing down on the breast and pulling the legs towards you. Loosen the skin at the neck and the edges of the thighs. Evenly distribute the garlic mixture under the skin, saving 2 teaspoons for the jus. Drizzle the skin with oil and rub in, being sure to cover the bird evenly. Drizzle oil on bone side of chicken as well.
• Arrange bird in roasting pan, breast up, atop vegetables.
• Place pan in oven being sure to leave the oven door ajar. Check bird in 10 minutes. If the skin is a dark mahogany, hold the drumstick ends with paper towels and flip bone-side up. Cook 12 to 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Juices must run clear. Remove and place chicken into a deep bowl and cover loosely with foil.
• Tilt pan so that any fat will pool at corner and spoon it out or use a baster. Set pan over 2 burners set on high. Deglaze pan with a few shots of cider and scrape brown bits from bottom using a carrot chunk held with tongs. Add chicken stock, thyme, the remaining garlic paste and reduce briefly to make a jus. Strain out vegetables and discard. Slice chicken onto plates or serve in quarters. Sauce lightly with jus and serve.

I'm not sure where this Chinese Chicken Salad recipe came from, but it's likely that I snarfed it from someone who served it to me at their home. It's decadent: it has corn syrup in it, an ingredient that should be universally reviled. So I should figure out a reasonable substitution! Until that day, this is an appropriately spicy chicken salad that makes for a healthy lunch (corn syrup aside!) infused with Asian flavors.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup chicken broth (low sodium if using store-bought)
½ cup soy sauce
1/3 cup plus ½ cup light corn syrup
¼ cup chopped peeled fresh ginger
¼ cup orange juice
1 tbsp grated orange peel
½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
¼ tsp dried crushed red pepper
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

2 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce (such as Sriracha)

1 5-ounce package mixed baby greens (about 10 cups)
2 cups matchstick-size strips peeled jicama
Onion or radish sprouts

PREPARATION

• Mix chicken broth, soy sauce, 1/3 cup corn syrup and next 5 ingredients in heavy large skillet.
• Bring mixture to boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes.
• Add chicken; simmer 8 minutes. Turn chicken over, cover skillet and turn off heat. Let stand 30 minutes to finish cooking chicken.
• Blend chili-garlic sauce, 1/2 cup corn syrup and 3 tablespoons poaching liquid in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer chicken to plate; cool 10 minutes.
• Cut chicken crosswise into thin slices.
• Combine greens and jicama in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat lightly. Divide salad among 6 plates.Top each with chicken; drizzle with some dressing. Garnish with sprouts and serve.

Serves 6.

This is a rich, nuanced Malaysian curry that calls for plenty of fresh and dried chiles and coconut milk. It's sweet, spicy and altogether a nice change from Indian curry. Try it topped with a mound of crispy fried shallots.

INGREDIENTS
8 fresh long red chiles (such as Serrano or New Mexico), seeded and coarsely chopped
5 small dried red chiles, such as chiles de árbol, seeded
2 stalks of fresh lemongrass, tender inner white bulbs only, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
3 small shallots, coarsely chopped, plus 4 medium shallots, thinly sliced
1 tbsp water
½ cup plus 1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 whole chicken legs, skinned and split into legs and thighs (3 pounds)
Kosher salt
One 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground pepper

PREPARATION

• In a food processor, combine the fresh and dried red chiles, lemongrass, garlic, coarsely chopped shallots and water and process to a fine paste.
• In a large, deep skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the vegetable oil. Season the chicken with salt and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
• Reduce the heat to moderate and add the chile paste. Cook, stirring constantly, until the paste begins to stick to the bottom of the pan and brown, about 7 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and return the chicken to the skillet. Cover partially and simmer over moderately low heat until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened, about 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the remaining 6 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the thinly sliced shallots and fry over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shallots to paper towels to drain.
• Transfer the chicken to plates. Add the lemon juice to the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with the shallots.