Chicken Curry

Last week I cooked for a teen retreat. There were only 35 of us, so it was a piece of cake. Nothing like cooking for 180 at summer camp! I’ve always maintained that if you can multiply, you can cook for a crowd. Need to cook for a group of 35? Multiply your 5-serving recipe by 7. Cooking for 180? Multiply that recipe by 36. The key is to not panic and worry that there won't be enough food. If one recipe feeds 5, 36 will feed 180. It’s simple math.

During the 3-day retreat, I served some of the teens' favorites like chili, pizza, pumpkin soup, and chicken curry. As I've said before, if you have picky eaters, you can cook and purée the vegetables. That way everyone is happy; there are no discernable vegetables, but the flavor is there. Since I knew several would frown upon having fruit in their meat dish, I replaced the apple with 1/2 cup of apple sauce and omitted the chutney.

Chicken Curry

1 pound (500 g) chicken breasts

1 onion

1 bell pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 apple pealed and diced

2 tablespoons mango chutney

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon curry powder

2 teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon cloves

½ cup (1.2 dl) cream

Chop the onion and bell pepper and sauté in a skillet in the oil. Cut chicken in small pieces and add to the skillet. When the chicken is done, add the apple and chutney. Dissolve the next 5 ingredients in 1½ cups of water and pour in skillet. When the liquid begins to thicken, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Just before serving, add the cream. (5 servings)

 

my helpers at a previous retreat

Poulet au curry

500 g de blanc de poulet

1 oignon

1 poivron

2 cuillères à soupe d’huile d’olive

1 pomme pelée et coupée en dès

2 cuillères à soupe de chutney à la mangue

2 cuillères à soupe de maïzena

1 cuillères à soupe de curry

2 cuillères à café de sel

¼ cuillère à café d’ail sec

¼ cuillère à café de clous de girofle moulus

1,2 dl de crème

Hacher l'oignon et le poivron et faire revenir dans une poêle dans l’huile. Couper le poulet en petits morceaux et ajouter à la poêle. Lorsque le poulet est cuit, ajouter la pomme et le chutney. Dissoudre les 5 ingrédients suivants dans 4 dl d'eau et verser dans la poêle. Lorsque le liquide commence à épaissir, baisser le feu et laisser mijoter 30 minutes. Ajouter la crème avant de servir. (5 portions)