Lemongrass and Coconut Milk Braised Chicken

, from Issue #79. July, 2018
Photography by Josh Griggs.
Lemongrass and Coconut Milk Braised Chicken

Packed with aromatic herbs, this Southeast Asian–style braised chicken gives you tender, succulent meat. Serve with hot cooked rice or noodles and steamed Asian greens.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

1 fresh chicken, butterflied
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4cm piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, halved
1 stalk lemongrass, bruised with the back of a large knife
6 double kaffir lime leaves
2 long red chillies, halved, seeds removed
400ml tin coconut milk
2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate
2 tablespoons fish sauce
sea salt and ground pepper
To serve
lime wedges

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 150°C fan bake.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the coconut oil in a large sauté pan and brown the chicken on all sides until golden. Place in a large roasting dish.

Add the onion, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and the chillies to the pan and cook gently for 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk, tamarind and the fish sauce, then bring to the boil.

Pour over the chicken and distribute the aromatics evenly around the chicken.

Cook, uncovered, for 1 hour or until the chicken is fully cooked, basting the chicken with the pan juices a couple of times
during cooking.

To serve: Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over the chicken when serving. Serves 4–6.

Cooks note:
To butterfly the chicken, cut down either side of the backbone with a pair of kitchen scissors and discard. Snip through the wishbone and press down on the chicken breast so it lies flat. Cut off the wingtips.