Who said woks are just for stir fry? We met James Beard Award-winning chef Stephanie Izard at her home in Chicago to learn her Do’s & Don’ts for braising chicken in our Carbon Steel Wok.
(And keep reading for Stephanie’s Butter Chicken recipe, which features the This Little Goat went to India spice from Stephanie’s new This Little Goat went to Made In spice & sauce line.
DO Use The Made In Wok. “The Made In wok is great for braising because of its shape. It actually holds in the heat, so when you turn it on low all of the heat isn’t going to escape right out of the pan.”
DO Plan Ahead. “What’s great about this butter chicken recipe is that you put a marinade on [your chicken] that can go for 8 to 24 hours. I love being able to get home, grab something out of the refrigerator that’s already been marinating, put it in my wok, and 30 minutes later I can have dinner.”
DON’T Get Tempted To Crank The Heat. “Since the wok can get very hot, you want to make sure you don’t leave it on high for too long before you put the chicken in — your yogurt marinade might break.”
DON’T Skimp On Ingredient Quality. “I’ve just been spoiled in my life to be surrounded by quality ingredients all the time, and I think I sometimes take that for granted. But when you actually come across lower quality items and you taste it next to something you’re working with, you can really tell the difference. Use a high-quality full-fat yogurt. It coats the chicken much better.”
DO Cook On Low. “Start off at high heat, let [your sauce] come up to a boil, and then turn it down really low right away. As long as you turn your heat down really low, it’s hard to overcook the chicken. A little bit over 30 minutes and you’re gonna be just fine.”
DO Get Creative. “With this dish, you can serve it alongside some bread to slop it up with, put it over rice, put some fresh herbs and radishes on top… Like all recipes, do be creative and add your own finishing touches.”
Now that you’re in the know, it’s time to grab your Carbon Steel Wok and make Stephanie’s Butter Chicken with This Little Goat went to India Spice.
“This Little Goat” Butter Chicken Recipe
Ingredients:
Instructions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, India spice, turmeric, and lemon juice. Add chicken and toss to thoroughly coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to 8 hours.
In the wok over medium heat, melt butter until foamy. Add onion and cook, stirring regularly, until translucent and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Add chicken along with all of the marinade and cook until chicken is starting to turn opaque, about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.
Stir in tomato paste and cream and continue to stir, cooking until slightly thickened, about 5 additional minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and/or additional India spice. Serve over jasmine rice or with naan.
