I haven’t seen Josef for awhile and it was great catching up! Looks like he started quite ruckus when he discovered that some shooting clubs have been illegally killing endangered species for sport. His campaign came out in several newspapers and got the attention of a prominent politician and a conservation bird group. We talked about the state of the environment, politics, corruption, and all things ordinarily taboo at a dinner party, but acceptable with very close friends (I suppose).
We started with a refreshing chilled Spanish soup and ended with tea and dates. The Chicken Curry was light and flavorful, not authentic Indian because I lacked some of the ingredients and substituted others, but it turned out quite well, better than the original as a matter-of-fact.
Sunset Cocktail: Orange Smoothie
Gazpacho
Chicken Curry
Gazpacho
Dice 2 large tomatoes, 1/2 green pepper, 1 red pepper, 1/2 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 2 peeled cucumbers and 1 can whole Italian plum tomatoes. Toss in a bowl with 2 tsp. salt, 1/4 cup Balasamic vinegar, 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Puree to a consistency you like, adding some water or tomato juice to thin if necessary. Chill until ready to serve.
Chicken Curry
Cut into bite-size pieces 800 grams chicken breast filet. Puree 1-inch piece ginger, 6 garlic cloves, 1/2 red onion and 1/2 cup water. Measure out 2 tsp. cumin seeds and 1 tsp. coriander seeds. Saute seeds in 2 tsp. ghee until seeds begin to pop. Add chicken and lightly brown the pieces. Add puree mixture, 7 crushed green cardamom pods, 1 stick cinnamon and 1 tsp. turmeric, cook for about 3 minutes. Add 1/4 cup ground almonds, mix thoroughly. Add 3/4 cup Greek yogurt. Season with salt.
