Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan

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December 28, 2009 By cheryl

Debal: A Devil of a Curry


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If you’re still staring at a fridge full of Christmas ham, roast beef or turkey, here’s something you can do with all those leftovers — make debal.

The dish, a traditional spicy stew that Eurasians in Singapore make on Boxing Day, is a kitchen-sink concoction made with the myriad leftover meats of Christmas feasts. It’s a classic dish in Eurasian cuisine, which developed in the 19th Century when European traders began migrating to Singapore and marrying into local families. Debal combines cooked hams and roast beef with spicy Southeast Asian chilis and ginger.

I spent a few hours last week learning how to make debal (pronounced “dee-bahl” and also known as curry devil or devil’s curry) from chef Damian D’Silva of Big D’s Grill for a piece for The Atlantic.

The process is fairly laborious — you’ll need to be stirring constantly for at least two hours. But the end result is out of this world.

Here’s how to do it …

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Eurasian, Leftovers, Meat, Recipes, Restaurants, Singapore, Singaporean, Southeast Asian, Tales From the Road Tagged With: Big D's Grill, Boxing Day, Christmas, Cuisine, Damian D'Silva, Eurasian, Ham, Holidays, Roast beef, Singapore, Spicy, Stew, Turkey

December 4, 2009 By cheryl

Leftover Turkey Hash Brown Quiche: Dieters Beware


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As much as I love Thanksgiving, I may adore the days after the holiday even more.

One word: Leftovers.

Sure turkey dinners with stuffing and corn pudding that have been doused in so much gravy that you have a thick, glistening brown moat on your plate are unbeatable. But this is also a great time to rev up your creativity in the kitchen.

What to do with your mounds of leftover turkey? Our Let’s Lunch bunch — a group of far-flung home cooks who have a monthly lunch date on Twitter — decided to tackle this question for December.

My answer? A garlicky turkey hash brown quiche.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Holidays, Let's Lunch, Recipes, So Good It Must Be Bad For You, Thanksgiving Tagged With: Basil, Black pepper, Butter, Cheddar, Cheese, Eggs, Garlic, Green onions, Ham, Hash Brown, Herbs, Holidays, Leftovers, Olive Oil, Oregano, Paula Deen, Quiche, Rosemary, Thanksgiving, Thyme, Turkey

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