cider vinegar | ChefsOpinion

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It looks like biryani.
It tastes like biryani.
It smells like biryani.
Alas, it’s not biryani.
As usual when I cook for Bella and myself, a few days ago I cooked too much jasmin rice. The next day, my usual train of thought at first led me to either one of two leftover dishes – fried rice or congee. But I did not really feel like either one of those, so my next choice was this very easy to prepare “faux biryani”.
While a “real biryani is easy enough to prepare, this one was even easier and of course, with the pre-cooked rice at hand, this was the perfect way to utilize the rice and at the same time get a dish that is wonderful, flavorful and beautiful. Naturally, the texture of the rice was different from the real deal, (not inferior, just different), but nevertheless, the dish was a great success, fully enjoyed by Bella and myself 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
Usually, one would steep the saffron in ghee, but because of the relatively high-fat content of the chicken skin which will render into the dish, I replaced the ghee with milk.
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Faux Chicken Biryani

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: marinade 8 ea chicken thighs in 1 cup yogurt, 1 tblsp garam masala and 1 tsp turmeric overnight

: steep 1 gram of “superior Spanish saffron” treads in 1/4 cup warm milk

: marinade julienne of 1/4 large red onion and slices of 1/2 medium size cucumber in 1 tblsp cider vinegar and kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: saute julienne of 1 large white onion in 2 tblsp ghee or peanut oil

: add 8 oz diced tomatoes, 1/2 cinnamon stick, 3 ea chilies, 1 ea bay leaf, 1 tblsp grd cumin, 1 tblsp grd coriander, saute until fragrant

: add the chicken, season with kosher salt to taste

: cover and cook SLOWLY for 15 minutes

: turn the chicken

: cover, cook SLOWLY for another 15 minutes

: at this point, check the chicken for doneness, the temperature should be at 155F on the bone

: top with 2 cups cooked rice

: drizzle with half the saffron milk, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp garam masala, 1 tblsp chopped cilantro and 1/2 tsp chopped mint leaves, repeat with another 2 cups of cooked rice, the other half of the saffron milk, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp garam masala, 1 tblsp chopped cilantro and 1/2 tsp chopped mint leaves

: cover and cook SLOWLY for another 5 minutes or until the rice is heated to proper temperature, let the dish rest, covered, for another 5 minutes before serving

: plate the rice on a serving platter

: top the rice with the chicken, garnish with the cucumber and red onions, lemon wedges (optional) and more chillies (optional)

: Faux Chicken Biryani

: Faux Chicken Biryani

: Faux Chicken Biryani

: Faux Chicken Biryani

: Faux Chicken Biryani

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Usually, part of the enjoyment of eating steak is cutting into a nice chunk of glistening meat and seeing it slowly but surely disappearing from the plate.
But for yesterday’s dinner, I just wanted to have some nice “finger food” to pick of a plate and sharing with madame while reclining on my chaise lounge, watching a great movie (The Grand Budapest Hotel).

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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Steak Salad

Steak Salad

Bella say’s:
“Time to eat ! “

Bella say’s:
“Maybe not enough for the two of us ?! “

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Preparation :
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cut cucumbers and radishes into bite-sized pieces, season with plenty kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, let marinade for 20 minutes, discard liquid, add garlic oil and cider vinegar to taste

meanwhile, season striploin steaks or other steaks of your choice with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, saute in garlic oil until done to your liking, set aside