My mother insisted on cooking huge batches of food, so we ate leftovers
regularly. But we didn't have a microwave. Everything had to be
reheated on the stove-top. Ever tried to reheat roasted chicken pieces
on a stove top? It can be a bit challenging. The chicken can come out
very dry and tasteless. And since we did not grow up in the land of
boneless skinless chicken breasts, all of our chicken was cooked on the
bone, usually roasted. Then the next day, my mother would pick the
bones clean, save the bones for stock, and fry up the meat a second
time, seasoning it generously with her stash of Middle Eastern curry powder and finish it with a splash of lemon juice.
So I grew up to love leftover chicken. I think I may even love this
more than the original meal of roast chicken. I just can't stop picking
at the bowl of juicy, caramelized chicken pieces, flavored with the
sweet and mildly spicy curry powder. The final squeeze of lemon juice
brightens up the whole dish, balancing out the flavors of the curry.
If you have leftover chicken, this whole dish will take you five
minutes, start to finish. If you don't have any leftover chicken, I do
like to use boneless chicken thighs here for a very quick dish. For a
fabulous sandwich, serve this tucked into a loaf of pita bread.
Otherwise, serve it next to rice, a plate of green beans - really,
whatever you have in your kitchen. It is as forgiving as it is
delicious.