Game Hens in an Indian Apricot Sauce

This recipe, adapted from Julie Sahni's Classic Indian Cooking, proves that fruit-based savory sauces don't always have to be cloyingly sweet.  The apricots make the dish pleasantly tart and the garam masala and ginger give some spice.  Serve it with plenty of Basmati rice. 

Game Hens Braised in Fragrant Apricot Sauce
Adapted from Classic Indian Cooking

Ingredients:

• 2 game hens, skinned and cut in half through the breast bone
• 1 cup dried apricots
• 5 tbsp clarified butter or vegetable oil
  
• 1 yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 2 tsp garam masala (store-bought or homemade)
  
• 3/4 cup canned chopped tomatoes
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
  

Directions:

1. Place the apricots in a small bowl.  Pour boiling water over the apricots, covering them by 1-inch.  Let the apricots soak for two hours.  
2. Drain the apricots and finely chop them.  Set them aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 375F. 
   
4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 2 tbsp of clarified butter and cook the game hens until well-browned on each side, 6 to 8 minutes total.  If necessary so as not to crowd the pan, brown the game hens in two batches.  Once cooked, place the game hens in a casserole dish large enough to hold them in one layer.  
5. Add the remaining clarified butter to the skillet.  Add the onion and cook until it turns light brown, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
6. Add the ginger to the skillet and cook until fragrant.
7. Stir in the garam masala to the skillet and cook for a few seconds.
8. Add the rest of the ingredients to the skillet, plus 3/4 cup water.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Cook until the sauce reduces to a thick puree, approximately 10 minutes.  Remove the skillet from the heat. 
9. Pour the apricot mixture over the game hens.  Pour 1/4 cup of water down the sides of the casserole dish and cover it with foil.
10. Place the casserole dish in the 375F oven and cook for 25 minutes.  
11. Reduce the oven to 325F and cook for another 25 minutes.  Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to two days.
    

Garam Masala Scallops with Acorn Squash

For no other reason but sheer love for Indian flavors, I have been on a curry fix of late. I found this recipe from Epicurious for scallops in a curry sauce over acorn squash. I would not have thought that scallops, acorn squash, and curry would work together, but this recipe turned out very nicely. Not only did it look nice on the plate, but the slightly spicy and creamy curry sauce played an excellent complement to the sweet scallops and squash.

As with most recipes, good-quality ingredients are important to this dish. I used jumbo U-10 dry scallops, which are meaty and rich enough to not be overpowered by the curry sauce. A purist would have made curry powder and garam masala from scratch but I had Penzeys excellent representations of each already on hand, which made for an easy and delicious dinner.

Rogan Josh (Lamb Curry)

I try my best not to let my job interfere with my cooking. Unfortunately, this is sometimes inevitable. After an early morning run, 10+ hours at the office, and a workout at the gym, I rarely have the time, the energy, or the mental capacity to toil over the stove. If it’s not leftovers, I’m usually sticking to quick and simple recipes during the week. In an effort to have leftovers I can eat for dinner over the course of a week, I tend to make a braised dish, a casserole, or roast a chicken on Sundays.

Having picked up a good amount of lamb shoulder from 3 Corner Field Farm at the Greenmarket the other day, I decided I’d try my luck at curry. I had never made an Indian-style curry before, so I searched the internet for one that sounded authentic. I came upon this recipe for Rogan Josh from Madhur Jaffrey. Silly name notwithstanding (I can’t help but think of Seth Rogen standing over a pot of curry, which is probably borderline blasphemous to Indian cuisine), I knew this would be a good Indian dish to start with since Madhur Jaffrey is one of the top Indian cookbook authors, not to mention actresses. I had also received my first shipment of Rancho Gordo heirloom beans, so I decided to serve my lamb curry alongside some curried Christmas limas.

I spent the better part of Sunday afternoon preparing the curry, and soaking and cooking the beans. When I came home from work today, I put on a pot of rice. For the beans, I stir fried a chopped onion for a few minutes, then added minced garlic and fried another minute. Then I added a little over a tablespoon of curry powder, beans, about a cup of the bean cooking liquid, and salt and pepper. I simmered the bean mixture for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, I reheated the curry, added 1/4 teaspoon of Penzey’s garam masala, pepper to season. Voila! An excellent dinner was ready in under 30 minutes.

Rogan Josh with Curried Christmas Limas and Rice