Spicy Creamy Coconut Clay Pot Chicken Recipes

SPICY CREAMY COCONUT CLAY POT CHICKEN

Steps:

• If using a glazed clay pot, soak for 15 minutes in water before using - do not preheat oven.
• If cooking conventionally, pre-heat oven to 180°C.
• Chop chicken into large chunks, about 6cm (2 1/2") square.
• In a small bowl, combine garlic, onion, lemon grass, ginger, chili, shrimp paste (if using) and oil - mix well being sure to break up shrimp paste.
• If using shredded coconut, dry fry over medium heat in a large frying pan, tossing frequently until light brown - be careful not to let it burn.
• Add onion mixture to the pan and fry for about 30 seconds until aromatic.
• Add chicken pieces and fry briefly for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned.
• Add coconut milk (reserve coconut cream for later), lime zest, brown sugar, vinegar and fish sauce (if using instead of shrimp paste).
• Transfer contents of frying pan to soaked clay pot (or to crock pot or oven-proof casserole dish).
• For clay pot, place into a cold oven, set temperature to 180°C and, when oven reaches set temperature, cook for 60 minutes.
• For conventional cooking, place boiling contents of frypan in ovenproof casserole, cover with a lid and place in pre-heated oven for approx 40 minutes.
• For crock pot, place boiling contents of frypan in crock pot and cook for 4-6 hours.
• At the end of cooking time, remove lid, stir in coconut cream and 1 heaped teaspoon bottled minced coriander (if using).
• Cook, uncovered, for a further 10 minutes for sauce to thicken slightly (do not expect a thick sauce).
• Remove from oven and stir in the juice of HALF the lime (or to taste).
• Taste and add a little salt if necessary.
• Serve over steamed jasmine rice and garnish with coriander leaves.

SPICY CHICKEN COCONUT CURRY

Steps:

• Heat the Ghee in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions, ginger, and garlic and cook slowly until the onions are very soft, about 15 minutes. Add the tomato paste, Curry Powder, cinnamon stick, and chiles and give it a good stir; season with salt and pepper. Pour in the coconut milk and chicken stock and bring it back to a simmer; cook until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chicken, cilantro, and half the lemon juice; continue to simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Garnish with cilantro and mint leaves.
• Put the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Melt the butter slowly and make sure it does not sizzle or brown. Increase the heat and bring the butter to a boil. When the surface is covered with foam, stir gently and reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting. Gently simmer, uncovered, and undisturbed for 45 minutes, until the milk solids in the bottom of the pan have turned golden brown and the butter on top is transparent. Strain the ghee through a sieve lined with several layers of cheesecloth. The ghee should be perfectly clear and smell nutty; pour into a glass jar and seal tightly.
• Toast the coriander, cumin, cardamom, peppercorns, fennel, mustard, cloves, and the chiles in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat just until they smell fragrant, about 2 minutes. In a clean coffee grinder or spice mill, grind the toasted spices together to a fine powder. Add the turmeric and give it another quick buzz to combine. Use the curry powder immediately, or store in a sealed jar for up to 1 month.

CLAY-POT CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius.
• Dry fry the coconut in a large wok until evenly browned. Add the vegetable oil, shallots or onion, garlic, lemon grass, ginger, chillies and tamarind paste. Fry for 2 - 4 minutes to release the flavours. Add the chicken pieces to the wok and brown evenly with the spices for 2 - 3 minutes.
• Strain the coconut milk, and add the thin part with the chicken stock, lime leaves, if using, sugar and vinegar. Transfer to a glazed clay pot, cover and bake in the centre of the oven for 50 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Stir in the thick part of the coconut milk and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes.
• Place the tomatoes in a bowl and cover with boiling water to loosen and remove the skins. halve the tomatoes, then remove the seeds and chop into large dice.
• Add the chopped tomatoes to the finished dish, sprinkle with the chopped coriander and serve.
• Plain rice is the usual accompaniment, but I normally serve with Naan Bread.