Ca Ri Ga (vietnamese chicken curry)

Not to be confused with the "vietnamese curry soup" that I posted ages ago, this dish tends to have a curry sauce that's a tad thicker, so that you can sop up all the delicious curry sauce with some crispy french baguette (or Vietnamese baguette if you can get your hands on some!! It's basically a shorter airier version of your typical french baguette, normally used to make the banh mi sandwiches that have been all the rage these past few years.)

This recipe is adapted from Mai Pham's recipe - I simply added some more heat and sweetness.

- 2 tbsp oil (vegetable or olive)
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced (I used my trusty mandolin, but my thumb accidentally got caught up in the mix and the hates me for it)
- 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 plus 4 tbsp madras curry powder
- 5 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 (4 -inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch-thigh slices
- 4 stalks lemongrass, cut into 2-inch pieces, bruised
- 2 (14 oz.) cans chicken broth
- 1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk
- 1 small thai chili pepper, cut into small pieces
- 6 kaffir lime leaves
- 4 tbsp fish sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 lb sweet potato, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 small yellow onion, cut into thin wedges
- 1 (14 oz) can baby corn, cut into 2 inch pieces

How to work with lemongrass:

Lemongrass is one of those ingredients with which I have a love-hate relationship.  It's not super easy to chop, and I feel like I throw away so much of it.  Generally when I'm adding it to a soup, what I'll do is take the long stalk and peel off the outside layer.  I'll chop one inch from the bottom root, and then use the next foot or so, throwing away the thin tops.  So - do this with you lemongrass: peel the lemongrass, chop one inch off the bottom root, and then chop every two inches until you use about a foot of the grass.  To "bruise" the lemongrass, take the handle of your knife and pound the pieces so that some of the flavor starts to seep out.  (Don't go cray cray - I'll usually hit each pieces 2-3 times.)  You should be able to smell it.

1) In a large dutch oven (because Le Creusets rule!), heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the shallots, garlic, and 1 tbsp of curry powder.  Stir until fragrant, about a minute.

2) Add the chicken thighs, skin side down.  (Make room so that the skin touches the bottom of the dutch oven - I found myself placing the shallots on TOP of the meat as the meat was browning.)  Brown the meat without moving it for 3-5 minutes.  Don't burn the skin, you just want a little caramelization for flavor.

3) Add the chicken broth and deglaze the pot.  This means pour in the liquid and then start to scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the flavor into the broth.

4) Add the coconut milk, ginger, lemongrass, lime leaves, thai pepper, fish sauce, salt, sugar, and 4 tbsp curry powder.  Simmer about 20 minutes.

5) Add the potatoes, baby corn and onions and simmer an additional 20-25 minutes until the vegetables are done.

6) Adjust seasoning to taste.  I find usually myself adding more sugar or fish sauce.

7) Serve with some toasted baguette and enjoy!