Get the curry inside my thighs

T

TheGuy

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Hi Guys

I've tried to make curry according to the following recipe http://www.food24.com/Recipes/Creamy-chicken-and-potato-curry-20100819

Now although it came out great for a first attempt one problem I had was that the curry did not really go into the chicken.

I will cook it a bit longer next time which might help but another thing I'm wondering about is in the first section they tell you to brown the chicken then take it out. Does this not close the chicken up so the spices cannot go inside?
 
A suggestion: after browning the chicken - jab the thighs with a knife in a couple of spots before adding the rest of the stuff, - that way those nice and spicy juices should be able to penetrate deep inside the flesh ;)
 
A couple of thoughts entered my mind after reading that title. None of those thoughts were good.
 
Nevan said:
A suggestion: after browning the chicken - jab the thighs with a knife in a couple of spots before adding the rest of the stuff, - that way those nice and spicy juices should be able to penetrate deep inside the flesh ;)
Click to expand...

Thanks Nevan I will give that a try next time.
 
I cut the thigh into two. It's made up of two bones. I then make some slits and split the meat.

That then goes flat on the braised masala for about 2 minutes a side before adding potatoes and some water to simmer.
 
Just thinking about it, what happen if you marinated the chicken in some of the spices? Wouldn't it make some difference? Also, I often have the curry the next day. Somehow allowing the curry to rest a day or so allows the spices to infuse into the meat and potatoes.
 
TheGuy said:
Hi Guys

I've tried to make curry according to the following recipe http://www.food24.com/Recipes/Creamy-chicken-and-potato-curry-20100819

Now although it came out great for a first attempt one problem I had was that the curry did not really go into the chicken.

I will cook it a bit longer next time which might help but another thing I'm wondering about is in the first section they tell you to brown the chicken then take it out. Does this not close the chicken up so the spices cannot go inside?
Click to expand...

No. Contrary to popular belief, sealing does quite the contrary - it breaks up protein bonds and allows more moisture to escape meat. There is no such thing as sealing meat - it is an old wive's tale that has no basis in reality. What you're doing is inducing the Maillaird reaction in the meat which helps to develop more flavour compounds.

All you need to do is cook your curry longer, or marinade it in a yoghurt mixture for at least 24hrs before cooking. The initial cooking does not inhibit the flavor uptake of the meat...
 
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McT said:
Just thinking about it, what happen if you marinated the chicken in some of the spices? Wouldn't it make some difference? Also, I often have the curry the next day. Somehow allowing the curry to rest a day or so allows the spices to infuse into the meat and potatoes.
Click to expand...

Marinating will help. Overnight is best like for breyani.
 
Nevan said:
A suggestion: after browning the chicken - jab the thighs with a knife in a couple of spots before adding the rest of the stuff, - that way those nice and spicy juices should be able to penetrate deep inside the flesh ;)
Click to expand...

No. You are increasing the surface area slightly but by no amount that could ever make a difference. You need a marinade that will penetrate tight protein bonds, and yoghurt is your best bet. In fact most other marinades (even acidic ones) do not penetrate meat (protein bonds) - this is another old wive's tale. Pre-marinades do not penetrate protein bonds for the most part - yoghurt however does. Post marinades on the other hand make a huge difference as it absorbs moisture around it as proteins contract while they cool.

Pre-marinades - just about useless
Post-marinades - awesome...
 
TheGuy said:
Thanks Nevan I will give that a try next time.
Click to expand...

Or save your time and don't. There is no scientific basis for this method unless you're adding volatile molecules, which is not what you're doing...
 
McT said:
Just thinking about it, what happen if you marinated the chicken in some of the spices? Wouldn't it make some difference? Also, I often have the curry the next day. Somehow allowing the curry to rest a day or so allows the spices to infuse into the meat and potatoes.
Click to expand...

Spices yes - there are a considerable number of volatile molecules in spices.

Marinades? No. You're suspending the volatile molecules in a solution so they have nowhere to go. It is absolutely pointless for the most part.

And the infusion of flavors has to do with the salt content and osmosis. It draws in the flavours around it...
 
KSINGH said:
Marinating will help. Overnight is best like for breyani.
Click to expand...

Only with yoghurt. It has the perfect balance to penetrate protein bonds. No other commercially available product does the same thing...
 
KSINGH said:
I cut the thigh into two. It's made up of two bones. I then make some slits and split the meat.

That then goes flat on the braised masala for about 2 minutes a side before adding potatoes and some water to simmer.
Click to expand...

I would have thought as an Indian you should know not to add water :p
 
DJ... said:
Only with yoghurt. It has the perfect balance to penetrate protein bonds. No other commercially available product does the same thing...
Click to expand...

I understand what you are saying.

So do I marinate it in all the spices mixed with yogurt the night before?
 
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