Curry Chicken Wing Stew
Creamy. Spicy. Crave-worthy curry. This is my take on our family recipe. The dish that would send me and my 3 siblings barreling out from where ever we were and race for the kitchen. Aromas of fresh ginger, Thai chilis, sweet coconut, and spicy curry were teasing us for what seemed like eternity and if you’re not first to the table your last. Anyone coming from a large family knows the rules. Healthy competition right?!
Funny thing about this recipe. It’s not particularly a Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, or Japanese curry. It does definitely lean more East Asian flavor profile wise, but honestly…who cares?! It’s delicious and hearty and feels like a hug. Check , check, and check! My personal favorite part? It doesn’t require anything I don’t already have on hand.
For example, I ALWAYS buy several cans of coconut milk. At a minimum, I’ll buy 6 cans at a time and pretty much use all of them on curry over the next couple of months. For the most flavor, buy the coconut milk labeled ‘for dessert’ (AKA coconut cream). Higher fat content and more of the indulgent coconut flavor that will hold its own with all the other players in this dish.
I also usually have homemade chicken stock in my freezer or Better Than Bouillon chicken paste in my fridge. Since I only use 1-2 tsp at per dish, not a big deal heath-wise and such a flavor bomb compared to water. If you want a healthy flavor bomb swap, use red miso paste instead. Great for when making this dish vegan!
RECIPE: Savory Instant Pot Chicken Stock
I’m not a fan of buying pre-made curry pastes or even going through the process of grinding up my own. More dirty dishes? No. Thank. You. As long the ingredients are added at the right time and get toasty, all is well. Its all about the process.
FOR THE FOOD NERDS! When cutting alliums (onion, garlic, leeks, shallots, etc.) let them rest for at least 10 minutes after cutting to supercharge their amazing health benefits. This rest time will allow them to convert the alliin to allicin. These powerhouse aromatics are antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, antiviral, and have potent anticancer properties! I recently read about this little trick from Dr. Will Bulsiewicz’s 2020 book, Fiber Fueled. Dr. B does a fabulous job keeping the reader engaged while dropping so much useful knowledge at the same time! (non-affiliate Amazon link to Fiber Fueled, by Dr. Will Bulsiewicz)
This dish pairs really well with a variety of veggies, so feel free to pick what is in season. You can check out my seasonal eats calendar here for inspiration. Just remember, the more starchy the veg, the longer it has to cook.
For nostalgia, I always cook a fresh batch of Thai jasmine white rice to go with this recipe. Could you eat this brown rice instead? Yes, but white rice is not only fragrant and delicious… but oh-so-aesthetic when plated with the rich colors from the stew.
Bonus: This dish freezes really well in an airtight container! No need to separate out the chicken or veg. Toss it all into a an airtight container or reusable silicone bag. When you are ready to reheat, empty the container into a sauce pan over medium heat and add splash of water as needed to help it along. Rotate the frozen block every few minutes to be sure it is warming evenly. I always make a very large batch of this, but rarely have any left to freeze because we eat it ALL in a matter of a couple days.
FOR THE FOOD NERDS! Its 2022 and we all know that turmeric is a great anti-inflammatory spice based on the curcumin it contains. Most already know that in order to activate the curcumin and maximize absorption, tumeric needs piperine which is the bioactive compound found in black pepper AND healthy fats to bypass the liver to boost bioavailability. According to my favorite physical therapists on the web, Bob & Brad (www.bobandbrad.com), tumeric is something that they recommend to patients specifically for joint pain caused by inflammation. This recommendation seems to also have been well received from their patients. Dosage can range from 500mg – 1000mg and should not be taken for longer than 2 or 3 months. Please discuss with your doctor prior to starting any supplement because there are always risks. Remember… I am not a doctor or medical expert of any kind, just a fellow food nerd!!
Curry Chicken Wing Stew
Ingredients
- 1 whole yellow onion, medium, diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 2-3 slices ginger, smashed
- 2-3 whole Thai chilis, minced, adjusted for desired heat level (swap with chili flakes or cayenne pepper)
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp tumeric
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp black pepper, ground
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 2 cans coconut milk or cream
- 2 lbs chicken wings
- 1-2 tsp fish sauce
- 1-2 tsp avocado oil
- 1-2 cups chicken stock (optional to swap with water)
Optional veggies (2 cups)
- Carrots
- Green Beans
- Eggplant
- Potato
- Sweet Potato
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven, combine the oil and onions and sauté until the onions are translucent over medium high heat. Then add ginger, garlic, and Thai chilis and sauté for another 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Lower the heat to medium and toss in the remaining spices, excluding the bay leaves. Stir slowly for about 2-3 minutes to toast the spices. Add in the fish sauce, and stir to release any spices stuck on the bottom.
- Add in the chicken and stir to coat in the spices. Toss in the veggies of choice and bay leaves and stir. Sprinkle in salt.
- Shake up one can of coconut milk before opening and pour in the pot. Fill up the empty can with chicken stock or water and add in to the pot and stir. Bring the pot to low simmer and cover for at least 25 minutes, up to 30 minutes.
- Shake up and add in the 2nd can of coconut milk. Stir well, cover and simmer for another 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
- Enjoy topped with cilantro, freshly sliced chilis and jasmine rice!