On The Plate: Butter Chicken

At Indienne, Chef Sathish Subramaniyam reconstructs a familiar dish.

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photo: Alexander zeren

Murgh makhani, or butter chicken, has graced menus around the world since gaining popularity in the late 20th century. The dish, said to have originated in Delhi as a way to reinvigorate leftover tandoori chicken, relies on a rich and creamy masala-laced tomato gravy. At Indienne, Chef de Cuisine Sathish Subramaniyam flips the homey dish into a refined course for the restaurant’s tasting menu, maintaining its comforting quality while banking on his technical skill to reinvent its architecture and enhance its familiar flavors.

Red Pepper Makhani

For the signature gravy, Subramaniyam boosts the combination of butter, tomato, garlic, ginger, green cardamom, cloves, and cashew with red bell pepper. “Red peppers give some natural sweetness that helps cut down the acidity in the tomato sauce. Also, we roast our peppers over an open fire before adding them to the sauce, which adds a little smokiness.” He cooks the mixture down with deggi mirch—a chile powder similar to paprika—and seasons it with fenugreek before blending it into a fine purée. To-order, the purée is warmed with cream and seasoned with salt and a touch of honey.

Chicken Two Ways

“[Butter chicken] traditionally uses the whole bird, and is cooked in a clay tandoor,” says Subramaniyam. “Our preparation is more French.” He decided to use the white meat two ways to develop delicate textures. First, Subramaniyam trims the breast into a neat teardrop shape before brining it and cooking it sous vide with butter. The trim goes into a food processor with cream, egg, and a spice blend of Kashmiri chile powder, ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, and garam masala, and is blended into an airy mousseline. 

Construction

To recreate the look of a roasted chicken breast, Subramaniyam makes use of a MoldBrothers silicone mold designed by Chef Alex Dilling— “also one of our inspirations behind this dish.” He first pipes in a layer of mousseline and sprinkles it with pistachio powder before adding the sous vide chicken breast. He then mirrors the layers, adding another spoonful of pistachio and layer of mousseline, making sure the layers are even and free of any air bubbles before letting it set in the fridge. The chicken then undergoes a multi-step cooking process, first getting steamed in the mold before being removed and steamed again. Finally, on the pick-up, the chicken gets glazed in a vibrant turmeric-chile oil and torched until deeply colored and glossy. The chicken is plated in a pool of red pepper makhani, brushed with a final swath of clarified butter, and adorned with a few cilantro and alyssum flowers to complete the striking dish. 

Recipe: Chicken Makhni

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