 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
Dining In: Succulent Chicken, Goan-Style
|
|
Recipes for Resort-Made Meals
|
|
BY REGINA SCHRAMBLING
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Spicy Chicken Cafreal, with sides; Arambol Beach in North Goa. |
|
|
|
Cooking an Indian dinner can eat up a vacation day: To do it right, you need to make at least half a dozen dishes. But Goa has an easy option that delivers huge flavor and is a perfect taste of this wonderland of spices.
Chicken Cafreal is a legacy of the Portuguese, who dominated Goa for nearly 400 years. Explorers from Portugal brought chile peppers from the Americas to their African colonies, where local cooks used them in piri-piri sauce. Then other explorers took their acquired taste to the Arabian Sea, on India’s western coast.
As with most regional recipes, the flavorings vary from cook to cook. Toasting and grinding the spices gives you serious South Asian flavor—and the spices are
a good investment. They’ll be fresher than you can find back home, and they make fragrant souvenirs.
CHICKEN CAFREAL
Serves 2-4
3-lb. chicken, butterflied
1 tsp. cumin seeds
6 allspice berries
4 whole cloves
4 green cardamom pods
½-in. cinnamon stick
1 tsp. black peppercorns
1 large bunch cilantro
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1-in. piece fresh ginger,
peeled and chopped
2 Serrano chilies,
seeded and chopped (or more, to taste)
¼ cup fresh lime juice
1½ tsp. sea salt
Butter or oil for pan
NOTE: This dish requires marinating, at least four hours or overnight.
Butterfly chicken by cutting it down the backbone on both sides, removing the bone and flattening the bird. (Or ask a butcher to do it.) Wash, pat dry, then slash skin and flesh evenly all over with a sharp knife, making ½-inch-deep cuts about an inch apart.
Combine cumin, allspice, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and peppercorns in a small, dry sauté pan over medium-low heat. Toast, tossing frequently, until aromatic. Cool slightly, then pulverize in blender or food processor.
Trim stems off cilantro, wash and chop well. Transfer to blender and
add garlic, ginger, chilies, lime juice and salt. Process until smooth.
Butter a baking dish just large enough to hold the chicken. Spread a little of the green sauce over the bottom. Lay the chicken in the pan and rub the sauce all over it. Cover and marinate in refrigerator at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Uncover and bring to room temperature before roasting.
Heat oven to 500°F. Place chicken inside and lower setting to 425°. Roast until juices run clear when flesh is pricked with a fork (or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 165°), about 30–45 minutes. Remove from oven and cover loosely with foil. Let stand 10 minutes before carving in half or into quarters.
Serve with basmati rice and a salad of sliced tomatoes and red onions, an Indian favorite.
STAY
RCI affiliated resorts in Goa, India, include:
ROYAL GOAN BEACH CLUB AT MONTERIO
On a hill overlooking Baga Beach. Arpora-Baga Road, Calangute
SUN VILLAGE
Close to Panaji, Anjuna and other must-see sights. Saquwadi Baga, Arpora
ROYAL GOAN BEACH CLUB AT BENAULIM
A small resort with a spa and a beach nearby. Calvaddo, Benaulim
CLUB MAHINDRA VARCA BEACH
Guests can relax at the beach, pool or spa. Varca Village, Salcete Taluka
For more information,
visit RCI.com or call
Weeks: 800-338-7777
Points: 877-968-7476
Club Members, please call your specific
Club or RCI telephone number.
Non-RCI affiliated resorts:
TAJ EXOTICA GOA
Benaulim; tajhotels.com; doubles from $285 per night
PANJIM INN
Panaji; panjiminn.com; doubles from $70 per night
VIVENDA DOS PALHACOS
Majorda; vivendagoa.com; doubles from $130 per night
NOTE: Information may have changed since publication. Please confirm key details before planning your trip.
|
|
|
|
Published: Winter 2011-2012
|
|
Photos: Regina Schrambling; Thinkstock
|
|
|