This Swiss dish was brought to my attention by the farmers at Ferme Reveuse. It’s a play on an Indian curry with a few changes. For instance, it uses cream instead of coconut milk! My recipe includes a home made curry blend but feel free to just substitute with curry powder.
The most surprising thing about this recipe is topping it with fruit. Don’t knock it until you try it! It’s so good. It complements the savory curry so well. In fact I feel like the curry itself would need a touch of sweetness without the fruit. By the way, fruit in curries in India aren’t such an oddity. Green mango is added to some dishes, a banana yoghurt raita isn’t unusual, etc. I believe that traditionally Riz Casimir is topped with pineapple which I substituted with mango.
This recipe was another foray into cooking with whole chickens. How I got the thighs out of a full leg can be found here. To see how to take the leg off of a whole chicken, check this out. I saved the chicken breast for a future recipe to come! Stay tuned.
Riz Casimir
Serves 2-4
dairy free, gluten free options below
3 tbsp chicken fat aka schmaltz or ghee, divided
425g cubed Ferme Reveuse chicken thigh and any extra pieces of chicken from cutting it into 8 pieces
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 tbsp ginger, peeled and cut roughly
1 tsp coriander, ground
1/4 tsp black pepper, ground
1/8 tsp cardamom, ground
1/8 tsp clove, ground
2 tsp turmeric, dried, ground
1 tbsp flour or cassava flour
200 ml chicken stock
200 ml cream or cashew milk
Fruit
1 tbsp butter
1 banana, halved lengthwise
20 grapes, halves
1 mango or 1 cup pineapple, peeled and cut into 2” chunks
1 apple, peeled, cored and cut into 2” chunks
Garnish
2 tbsp sliced almonds
fresh mint leaves (optional)
Cooked basmati rice, for serving
Heat a skillet over medium heat and swirl in 1 tbsp schmaltz or ghee. When it shimmers, add chicken pieces and sear on both sides until golden, seasoning with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, pound garlic and ginger in a mortar and pestle. If you don’t have one, grate it on a micro-plane or chop it finely. In a small bowl, add the garlic and ginger and then add the coriander, black pepper, cardamom, clove and turmeric. Stir to make a paste. Set aside.
Set chicken aside in a bowl, leaving the fat in the pan. Add remaining schmaltz or ghee and stir in garlic ginger paste and stir in pan over low heat until fragrant. Add flour and cook for 30 seconds or 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in broth, whisking constantly to prevent clumps. Add in cream and bring up to medium heat to a simmer. Taste for seasoning and add any more salt if needed. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add chicken back into sauce and simmer for 10 min gently or until chicken is cooked through.
Meanwhile, heat another pan over medium heat. Add in butter. When butter starts to foam, sear fruit, cut side down until golden. Flip carefully and sear on the other side.
Serve with cooked basmati rice, serve curry chicken on top and top the curry with seared fruit, sliced almonds and mint leaves.
