CURRIED CHICKEN AND SHRIMP

In the early days of nouvelle cuisine, back in the roaring 80's, there was a wonderful restaurant in Baltimore that, while not very prepossessing, served very good and (for the time) unusual food. I went there as often as I could and frequently took my good friend: I'll call her Marie. Over time, we became regulars and could even get a table on short notice. On one such night, I said to the host, without giving it much thought, that we had so enjoyed his company and that of the staff that I would like to invite them to my home, to enjoy my own hospitality. He and the staff readily accepted.

After we were safely out on the street, Marie looked at me as though I were out of my mind. "Do you know what you've just done?" she asked. "You've just agreed to cook a meal fo rthe chef of the best restaurnat in town. Are you crazy?" Maybe I'd had a little too much wine.

After a lot of thought about what I'd serve, I asked the staff to come for lunch and served them this wonderful curried dish. It's easy to make (easier than the recipe for curried chicken already posted here) and tastes great. Since then, I've served this many times, usually doubling the recipe here, and I've always gotten applause. You can serve this with NOODLES WITH CARROTS AND DILL, coming up tomorrow.

CURRIED CHICKEN AND SHRIMP

serves 4

1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless, about 1 1/2 lb (1 whole breast)

4 T butter

1/2 C onion, finely chopped

1/4 t garlic, finely chopped

1/2 C finely diced celery

2 T curry powder

1 T tomato paste

1/2 C banana, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 peeled apple, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 C chicken broth

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

1. Rinse the shrimp and drain well. There should be about 2 cups. Set aside.

2. Cut the chicken into one inch cubes. There should be about 3 cups. Set aside.

3. Heat half the butter in a nonstick skillet and add the onion and garlic. Cook briefly and add the celery. Cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with curry powder and stir. Add the tomato paste and stir. Add the banana and apple. Stir.

4. Add the broth and stir to blend. Add salt to taste. Simmer about 10 minutes.

5. Heat the remaining butter in another, larger saucepan and add the chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and spinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, about 2 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, pour the curry mixture into the container of a food processor or electric blender. If a blender is used, this may haave to be done in two or more stages.

7. Pour the curry sauce over the chicken and shrimp. Bring to a boil and simmer about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

To do ahead: I often make the curry mixture, blend it and then hold it, covered and chilled, until ready to go on with the recipe. Then I reheat the mixture and proceed.

Note: serve this with Noodles with Carrots and Dill (see the recipe, coming up tomorrow), accompanied by a good, rich beer and a green salad. This makes a great combination.