What’s Cooking

Some how or other – rank stupidity on my part – this was posted by mistake yesterday. I made a few changes and represent it today.

Last winter my friend Fiona was bemoaning the lack of a curry sauce to match the one they served in her local chippie in Belfast*. Belfast? Like in Northern Ireland? Yep! Irish Curry Sauce???? Surprise! The most popular condiment in chip shops throughout Ireland – North and South – and also in the UK is curry sauce.

As well as a tasty dipping sauce this is a great sauce for morsels of chicken thighs or breast.

IRISH CURRY SAUCE
From Irish American Mom
Service: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
1 large onion peeled and diced
1 large apple peeled and diced
1 teaspoon garlic minced
1 teaspoon ginger minced
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons canola oil or vegetable oil
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock use vegetable stock for a vegetarian curry sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon tomato purée
⅛ teaspoon salt to taste
⅛ teaspoon pepper to taste
¼ cup golden raisins optional

Directions:
Prepare the spice blend by mixing the curry powder, turmeric, cumin, ground coriander seeds and cinnamon in a small bowl.
Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and saute for 4 minutes over medium heat. Add the diced apple and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add the minced ginger and garlic and stir.
Add the spice blend to the onion mixture and stir constantly as it cooks for 2 more minutes.
Add the flour and stir constantly as it cooks for 2 minutes. Scrape the bottom of the pan to prevent burning.
Gradually add the stock, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming.
Add Worcestershire sauce, sugar, tomato puree and stir. Season with salt and pepper.Bring the sauce to boiling point, stirring constantly.
Then reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes.
Turn the heat off, and allow the sauce to cool slightly before blending. When cool enough add the sauce to a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth.
Return the sauce to the pan over medium heat. Add golden raisins if desired.

*When I sent her this recipe Fiona admitted that in many cases the chippies don’t make their own but get it from a local Indian restaurant or – gasp! – a bottle.

The word for November 4 ^th is:
Morsel \môr′səl\: [noun]
1.1 A small piece of food.
1.2 A tasty delicacy; a tidbit.
1.3 A small amount; a piece.
From Middle English morsel, from Old French morsel, from Medieval Latin morsellum (“a bit, a little piece”), diminutive. of Latin morsum (“a bit”), neuter of morsus, past participle of mordere (“to bite”).