Chewing, one eats. Reflecting, one speaks.
-Paul B. Kennedy
Paul B. Kennedy is a well-travelled and passionate chef with a passion for exploring flavors of the world in its most authentic form.
An American, who travelled to Vietnam and has since settled there, Paul has put meaning to passion by starting a ‘Vietnam Food and Culture’ portal. The website offers a variety of delicious Vietnamese recipes suited for various taste buds.
Vietnam is a young country with unique cultures. Its picturesque landscape from north to the south tells a story of its history and journey to independence.
It is also a country of flavors. As Paul puts it, “the best pineapple of your life ever is here – twenty cents for a bottle of roadside rambutan juice!”
Paul’s love for culture and food of translates into his belief that an interest in understanding the world will help everyone understand each other a little better.
Speaking about what sampling food from different cultures has taught him, Paul says: “To appreciate the culture, you must understand the food. To appreciate the food, you must understand the culture.”
Paul’s highly recommended first Cookbook will be available in 2022, providing a variety of popular to lesser-known Vietnamese recipes. As James Beard Winner – Best Chef of the Northeast, Chef Tony Messina puts it “from rice pyramid dumplings and salted egg chicken to taro pudding, Paul Kennedy explores the street food, heritage cuisine, colonial influences and hybrid dishes that make up Vietnam’s multi-layered culinary landscape.”
A Paul B. Kennedy Must-try Recipe: Vietnamese Chicken Curry, Cà Ri Gà
Yields 4 Servings
Marinade
4-8 chicken drumsticks
2 t turmeric
1 t curry
1 stalk lemongrass cut into 1-inch pieces, smashed
2 cloves garlic, minced
Broth
½ c vegetable oil, for frying
1 ½ lb potatoes, peeled, large chunks
1 large onion, yellow, peeled, sliced
3 c chicken broth, high quality
3 c pork stock, high quality
1 t curry
1 c coconut milk
2 t sugar
1 bay leaf salt, as needed
To Complete
2 French baguettes, warmed
For Marinade
Combine marinade ingredients in shallow bowl.
Cover, refrigerate for 5 hours.
Remove chicken.
Separate the lemongrass and garlic from the marinade.
Set aside.
For Broth
Add oil to large pot, heat on high.
Add potatoes until crispy.
Remove.
Set aside.
In large skillet, heat reserved marinade until shimmering.
Add lemongrass and garlic, heat until fragrant.
Add the chicken and onions, until the outside of chicken is golden brown and seared.
In a separate pot bring the stocks to a boil with curry, sugar, salt, bay leaf.
Lower temperature to medium.
Add the chicken, potatoes, onions.
Simmer for 15 – 20 minutes making sure chicken is cooked through.
Add coconut milk.
Bring to boil.
Remove from heat.
Adjust seasoning, if needed.
To Complete
Serve warm with warm baguettes.
To find out more about Paul B. Kennedy’s culinary experiences and recipes, kindly visit his WEBSITE – and follow him on TWITTER and INSTAGRAM.
By: Theresa R. Fianko
With additional information from: Paul B Kennedy
Images and Recipe used with the full permission of Paul B. Kennedy
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