Country captain
Instructions:
- Gentle spicing adds interest to a pot roast and obviously was inspired by the efforts of native cooks to please their western masters. The name, however, is strange indeed. It is thought it came from the cooks’ efforts to say ‘capon’ and, of course, anything cooked with local flavours was described as ‘country’. This dish turns up in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and wherever the British colonised.
- 1.5 kg (3 lb) roasting chicken or chicken joints;
- 2 large cloves garlic;
- 2 teaspoons salt;
- 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger;
- 1 teaspoon turmeric;
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper;
- a pinch of chilli powder (optional);
- 1 tablespoon lime juice;
- 3 tablespoons ghee (or a mixture of ghee and oil);
- 4 large onions, thinly sliced;
- 2 fresh red chillies, seeded and sliced.
- If using a whole chicken, remove excess fat from the cavity.
- With the flat of a knife on a wooden board, crush the garlic with salt to a smooth puree. Mix with the ginger, turmeric, pepper, chilli powder and lime juice. With a sharp skewer prick the skin of the chicken all over and rub with the mixture. Set aside for 30 minutes, or place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for longer. Do the same if using chicken joints. Heat the ghee in a heavy pan and fry half the onions, stirring frequently, until a deep golden brown. Set aside for garnishing the chicken. Fry the remaining onions and chillies until the onions are lightly browned, adding more ghee or oil as necessary. Add the chicken and fry until golden, turning with tongs to brown all over. Add a little water (about 60 ml/2 fl oz/¼ cup) to the pan, cover and cook over low heat until the chicken is tender. At end of cooking, uncover the pan and allow the liquid to evaporate. Serve hot, accompanied by Ghee Rice and garnished with the browned onions. It goes equally well with parboiled and pan-fried potatoes.