The dilemma was I had a craving for roast chicken and curry!
And so this recipe was born: Curried Roast Chicken
For roasting, I usually spatchcock the chicken. The advantages being:
- Nearly all the shin is exposed on the top, resulting in even browning. (flabby chicken skin gives me the creeps!)
- The chicken cooks quicker as there is more even heat distribution
- Less cooking time, therefore less chance of dry meat
- The spine is removed, making carving easier
- More surface area exposed to seasoning
This recipe is a cross between a roast and a casserole as the chicken is basted with and lies in a spicy coconut milk base that serves as a sauce or gravy.
You can probably use one of those ‘cook in sauces’ that are readily available in supermarkets, but I chose to make my own.
If you have a blender it is so easy to add fresh herbs and spices to some coconut milk for the cooking and basting sauce. You can amp up the heat by adding more chilli, but in this case I liked the freshness of ginger and coriander.
I you like you can blend the onions, but I like the chunky texture of the cooked onions in the sauce.
If you want to turn this into a ‘one pot wonder’ add green beans, broccoli florets 15 minutes before the end of the cooking time; or whole baby carrots, baby potatoes or cubed butternut 30 minutes before the end of cooking time.
Serve with savoury or basmati rice. If you have not added potatoes to the above (I am ‘old fashioned’ and stick to only one starch: either potatoes or rice!)
Apologies for the unappetising photographs. Raw chicken is ‘not pretty’ and we tucked into the cooked version before I could grab my camera!
