Chicken Cafreal

This is one of a collection of recipes from Goan posted by Trevor Hall
following his visit there in 1993.



Chicken Cafreal

Cafreal is one of those dishes where anything seems to go. I was given many
variants, except the one I wanted. A small restaurant in the back of beyond
served the most wonderful Cafreal, so good the locals were queuing up for
tables. The owner though, flatly refused to give me his recipe.
Cafreal is essentially chicken (whole or jointed) marinated in chillies,
lime juice (or vinegar) and spices, then either deep fried, barbecued or
roasted.
The following recipe is my interpretation but I am still working on it. I
have used the roasting method as this produces a great gravy.
I also recommend that you make a stock from the chicken carcass, it adds an
extra dimension to a risotto.

Chicken Cafreal

1 chicken, prepared for roasting or jointed chicken pieces
juice of 1 lime
1 level tsp salt
5 dried red Kashmiri chillies, ground
3 green chillies, deseeded
4 peppercorns, ground
1 Tbsp coriander seeds, ground
1/2 inch piece cinnamon bark, ground
1/2 inch piece mace, ground
8 cloves garlic
1 inch piece ginger


Rub the salt and lime juice over the chicken (also inside if whole).
Grind all the other ingredients together and rub over the chicken.
Cover and marinade over night in the refrigerator.
Heat oven to 325F. Place the chicken in a roasting tray and cover with foil
(this is important - the chicken must be moist when done and the spices must
not burn).
For a 4 lb chicken, cook for about 2 hrs (adjust the time to the size of bird
or if chicken joints are used). Baste several times during cooking. For the
last 15 minutes of cooking, remove the foil.
Remove the chicken from the roasting tray and leave to rest.
You now have two options for the 'gravy'. Either collect the pan juices as
is (no don't skim the fat off) or skim the fat, deglaze and make a gravy as
normal.  When I had it in India it was served just with the pan juices.

Notes :- If a whole chicken was used, then cut into two halves post cooking,
do not carve into slices ;- this is meant to be eaten with your hands.
Serve with plenty of bread to dip the juices up.
Why not roast some root vegetables and garlic in the roasting tray while you are
at it.



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