Photo: Chicken Marsala Masala with Peach-Watermelon Rind Chutney Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken stock, divided
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
- 1 1/2 cups long grain rice
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast cutlets, thinly sliced into 1/8-1/4 inch strips
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 red onion, quartered lengthwise then thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, grated or thinly sliced
- 3 portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons curry powder, a couple of palmfuls
- 2 teaspoons garam masala, 2/3 palmful
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup Marsala wine, eyeball it
- 2 peaches, chopped
- 1 inch fresh ginger root, grated
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup pickled watermelon rind, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts, toasted
- A handful fresh flat parsley or cilantro, chopped
- 4 scallions, whites and greens, finely chopped
Directions
Bring 2 cups of chicken stock, 1 cup water, 2 tablespoons butter and bay leaf to a boil in a medium pot with tight fitting lid. Add rice, stir and cover, reduce heat and cook 18 minutes.
Heat 2 tablespoons EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, in a large skillet over medium-high to high heat. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper and brown 6 to 7 minutes then remove to a plate and add remaining EVOO, turn heat back a bit. When the oil ripples, add red onions, garlic and mushrooms. Cook mushrooms until dark and tender, 6 to 7 minutes, then season with salt and pepper, curry and garam masala. Add the chicken back to the pan. Deglaze the skillet with Marsala then add 2 cups chicken stock, reduce heat and simmer a few minutes for flavors to combine.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small pot over medium high heat. Add the peaches to the pan and season with ginger, salt and pepper. Cook peaches 3-4 minutes, add the vinegar and sugar and glaze the fruit then stir in the nuts, watermelon rind, cilantro and scallions and turn off heat.
Fluff rice with fork. Serve chicken on a bed of rice with chutney on top to garnish. YUM-O!
