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Tropical Braised Chicken over Basmati Rice « What We’re Eating – A Food & Recipe Blog
Mango Macadamia Nut Smothered Chicken

Tropical Braised Chicken over Basmati Rice

Mango and Macadamia Nut Smothered Chicken
Eater rating: 3.9 / 5  3.94
Tonight’s dinner was a fusion of the U.S. deep south and the tropics. We had chicken thighs braised in white wine, mango puree, homemade macadamia nut butter, cinnamon, and star anise. The smothered chicken was served over spiced basmati rice.

T: this was a very interesting dish. It made my taste buds perk up and say, “what the..?”
A: *#$@… is that what your taste buds said?
T: no, they just said “what the”
A: hehehe okay, now that that’s clarified. While i didn’t think this dish was bad. It wasn’t exactly what i had in mind when i started out making it….hmm… or i guess it was but not really. When i first defrosted the chicken thighs i thought i would do a throw back to our southern roots and make some kind of smothered chicken. Then i thought, no, i have mango… i have macadamia nuts.. i should make a white wine, mango, and macadamia nut sauce and simmer the chicken in it. I thought the mango would be more prevelent and the wine would just be a hint of a flavor. By the time this meal was finished i pretty much had a tropical version of smothered chicken.
T: it was very interesting, and quite good. Do you think you would have been more satisfied with it if you’d used a better wine?
A: absolutely. i think its really key to use a good wine when you are cooking, regardless of how cheap you are, because it really can be the difference between a good meal and a little off meal, you know. In this instance i was a cheap ass bitch and used a bottle of george debeouf table white wine that was on SALE at the market across the street. It would have made all the difference in the world if i had used a good wine to begin with.
T: it’s hard to spend that money. i understand fully. The asparagus was quite good tonight, too… although we don’t have a picture of it here (all the pictures of it sucked). How’d you do the asparagus?
A: pretty much the same old way… or even easier than “the same old way”. Normally i roast the asparagus with garlic, salt, pepper, and maybe an herb. Tonight i used a little canola oil, and tossed the asparagus with salt and pepper, roasted it for like… five minutes at 375 and voila! crispy thin asparagus, well seasoned with the seasoning gods.
T: Well it was damn good. I’m surprised it was that simple. Huh.
A: yup. K I S S – you all know it.. just apply it to cooking too….(at least some times)
T: That’s the only way i know how to cook. I keep it so simple it is stupid. Ok, wait, I don’t cook at all.
A: i know, for a minute there i thought you were calling me stupid (since i’m the one who does your cooking)
T: haha, that’s how I keep it simple. Let you do all the work.
A: thaaanks i surely do appreciate that mista tylah. 🙂
T: why your welcome Miss Amanda.
A: for some reason everytime i’m called “miss amanda” it makes me feel like a child. I think my parents and older relatives must have called me that as a kid. So, whadddya rate this meal, dude?
T: I give this one a 4.1/5. It was good. Interesting. Definately worthy of a 4+ rating. Not the most spectacular thing ever that you’ve made, but it has a lot to compete with.
A: thanks T… i give this meal a 3.78/5. I thought it was good too, but since i had an initial vision that was pretty far removed from the end product i can’t score it too high. It tasted much better than i thought i would when i first tasted the sauce before it reduced from a some what gnarly wine taste. It all kind of mellowed out and melded together pretty well.
T: I never tasted it when it was at the “gnarly wine” stage but it was mellow by the time I had it. I think it’s worth mentioning that with our new schedules and apartment, we are blogging when there is still natural light. The last couple of posts have not used any artificial lighting whatsoever. Ahh, it’s so much easier!
A: i know! it leaves the chef in a much more pleasant state by the time we actually get to sit down to eat. and the natural lighting always just looks good, you know?
T: yeah, you can’t beat the damn sun. Go sun, go sun… (inner dialogue: don’t say “it’s your birthday”) it’s your birthday.
A: oh jeez… i was going to cheer on the sun as well until you had to bring in the whole “it’s your birthday” thing… totally ruined my sun-cheering mood, man.
T: I had a long day, OK? I’m feeling cheezy.
A: I can tell… 😛
T: 😛

Kwaherini mabibi na mabwana!

5 comments so far:

  1. cookiecrumb says:

    What fun! This is like a podcast you have to read aloud.

  2. Laura says:

    Hi guys, the chicken looks good to me and it certainly looks very southern, all that yummy gravy and rice.

  3. Us says:

    Cookiecrumb, we like to make sure people are literate, you know? If we did a podcast, we couldn’t be quite as educational! 😛 Thanks for stopping by!

    Laura, I thought about calling you to come over, but since it was only chicken thighs, i figured rice and gravy might not be worth the gas! We will definately have to go for dinner some while Tyler’s away, playing on the east coast!

  4. This is my first visit to your site…let me get this straight…one of you cooks amazing food and one of you shoots amazing food pictures? I try so hard to take good food pictures but it’s really hard! What kind of camera do you use?

    Believe it or not, I’m actually moving to San Diego very shortly! I’d like to come over for dinner and photo lessons!

  5. Amanda says:

    Michellephant, you pretty much have it right! except that both tyler and I take pictures, it just that usually his win spots on the blog. I do have a few floating around here! We use tyler’s cannon digital rebel. A DSLR is definately the way to go. It’s great you are moving to SD, you are certainly welcome to come for dinner and photos! i can’t say that we can give you lessons…we don’t know that much, but hey! it would be fun none-the-less!