#TasteofThursday Chef Roger Ma’s Winning 2016 Curry Cup Recipe

 

Chef Roger Ma’s Winning 2016 Curry Cup Recipe

 

BALINESE CHICKEN CURRY, LAWAR AWAN, LEMON BASIL YOGURT, CRISPY CHICKEN SKIN

 

Yields 6-8 servings

This recipe has been modified from the original version to make it slightly more accessible to recreate at home.

 

Spice Paste (yields approx. 800g paste)

6pc candlenuts

8g toasted coriander seeds

6g toasted black peppercorn

12 shallots, minced

6 long red chilies, seeded and sliced

10 fresno chilies seeded and sliced

8 garlic cloves, chopped

4 lemongrass stalks, white part only, sliced and pounded in mortar and pestle

80g galangal, chopped

10g ginger, chopped

20g fresh turmeric, chopped

25g palm sugar

60g coconut oil

100g shallot oil (oil used to crisp up shallots)

20g shrimp paste (toasted)

2 kaffir lime leaves

fish sauce to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processer or robot coupe and pulse into a thick paste.

Curry Stock

2 onion halves, burnt on a stovetop until black

1 thumb-sized piece ginger, burnt and then sliced

8 cloves crushed garlic

3 stalks lemongrass, pounded

2 kaffir lime leaves, rubbed between hands to release oil

5 stalks green onion

3g black peppercorn, toasted

3g coriander seed, toasted

6pc chicken legs

5 L chicken stock

Blanch the chicken legs in simmering water for 1 minute and remove. Combine all ingredients together in a stockpot and cover with chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 4 hours. Strain and reserve chicken leg meat. Shred, cool and reserve.

Chicken Legs

4 boneless skin-on chicken thighs, 5pc per thigh

Brine in 4% brine for 1 hour 15 minutes with a mixture kaffir lime leaves, toasted black pepper and coriander, thai chili, lemongrass stalks, fresh cilantro, ground turmeric, ginger, galangal, brown sugar and fish sauce. After brining, let dry and then sear skin in a heavy bottom pan to caramelize. Set aside and finish braising in curry.

Curry

80g russet potatoes, medium dice

1lbs eggplant, oblique cut then deep fried

300g curry paste

3L infused curry stock

4pc brined chicken thigh

1 can Aroy-D coconut milk

400g Japanese eggplant (cut into 2cm pieces, fry in 350°F oil, drain on paper towel)

60g coconut oil

fish sauce to taste

palm sugar to taste

lime juice to taste

Heat up coconut oil in a wide and shallow pot (rondo). Toast the curry paste until fragrant. Add diced potato and continue to cook until coated with paste. Add the stock and the coconut milk and stir. Season with fish sauce, sugar and lime juice, add chicken legs and braise until tender. Adjust curry flavour with stock and coconut milk. Break up the potatoes to thicken the curry and add eggplant and the remaining potatoes. Adjust seasoning and continue to simmer until the vegetables are cooked. Continue to adjust seasoning so that the curry is balanced in flavour. After the curry is cooked, remove thighs, dice and fold back in. Finish with fresh cilantro leaves.

Long Bean Salad

400g long beans

30g toasted coconut flakes

5 Tbsp coconut milk

1 Tbsp lime juice

Blanch long beans until bright green and tender, but still al dente. Slice into 1 cm pieces. Reserve 100g curry paste and mix with coconut milk and lime juice. Season with fish sauce, palm sugar and lime. Mix in some of the shredded chicken leg meat from the stock. Mix beans and dressing together and season.

Lemon Basil Yogurt

½ lb lemon basil

½ cup Greek yogurt

fish sauce to taste

sugar to taste

Blanch and purée the lemon basil. Mix with Greek yogurt. Season with fish sauce and sugar.

Fried Chicken Skin

skin removed from 4 chicken legs

salt to taste

cayenne pepper to taste

lime zest to taste

Scrape fat off of skin. Season skin with salt and cayenne pepper. Lightly dredge skin in seasoned flour and gently fry in hot oil (at 350°F) until bubbles have disappeared. Drain excess oil on paper towel. Season with salt, cayenne pepper and fresh grated lime zest.

To Finish

Serve curry, bean salad and lemon basil yogurt over hot jasmine rice. Garnish with cilantro leaves, sliced chilies and fried chicken skin.

Roger Ma | Chef de Cuisine     

Following Georges Auguste Escoffier’s Brigade de Cuisine system of kitchen hierarchy, Chef de Cuisine Roger Ma is the Boulevard general, second in command to only Executive Chef Alex Chen’s commander in chief. And there’s no doubt Roger boasts the necessary experience, expertise and savvy to execute a successful back-of-house battle plan.  

Roger began his career in the industry by helping to launch Fifty Two 80 Bistro & Bar at the Four Seasons Resort Whistler in 2004. From there, Roger became an integral part of the kitchen engine that drove a number of restaurants in esteemed chef Daniel Boulud’s empire.  

In 2006, Roger rose in the ranks at Boulud’s flagship restaurant, Daniel in New York, from chef de partie to banquet sous chef to sous chef. After six years, Roger took the role of corporate sous chef in Boulud’s Dinex Group and moved on to help open Café Boulud and dBar at the Four Seasons Toronto as well as Maison Boulud at the Ritz Carlton in Montreal before returning to his hometown of Vancouver. Roger is no stranger to accolades either, having claimed the top prize at the 2015 Vancouver Aquarium Ocean Wise™ Chowder Chowdown from a field of 14 chefs.

While both Roger and Alex hail from Vancouver, Boulevard marks only the second time that they have blended their unique talents.  

“It’s extremely exciting to be able to work with Alex again” says Roger. “While the menu has a definite West Coast feel, there is also plenty of global inspiration — things that have been influenced by our travels and personal tastes.”

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