Spicy Creamy Coconut Clay Pot Chicken

4.00 (3)
⏱ 110 mins 🍽 4 serving(s) 🏷 Stew

This fragrant chicken stew is cooked in a clay pot, though it adapts well for a crock pot or conventional oven. Boneless chicken thighs are browned with a paste of garlic, onion, lemongrass, ginger and chilli, then simmered with coconut milk, lime zest and brown sugar. The dish finishes with coconut cream and fresh lime juice, creating a creamy, aromatic sauce perfect with steamed jasmine rice. Fresh herbs are ideal, but bottled ingredients work well for convenience.

Spicy Creamy Coconut Clay Pot Chicken

Ingredients

  • 1 kg boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed or 2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 3 teaspoons bottled minced lemongrass (or 5cm fresh)
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger or 1 tablespoon bottled minced ginger
  • 1 teaspoon bottled minced chili (or more to taste) or 1 teaspoon sambal oelek (or more to taste)
  • 1 cm cube shrimp paste or 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 3 tablespoons shredded coconut (not desiccated) (optional)
  • 300 ml coconut milk
  • 100 ml coconut cream
  • 300 ml chicken stock
  • 1 lime, finely grated rind and juice
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 bunch fresh coriander (to garnish) or 1 teaspoon bottled minced coriander

Method

  1. Soak a glazed clay pot in water for 15 minutes before use, and do not preheat your oven.
  2. For a conventional oven method, preheat it to 180°C.
  3. Cut the chicken thighs into large chunks, roughly 6cm square.
  4. Mix the garlic, onion, lemongrass, ginger, chilli, shrimp paste if using, and oil together in a small bowl, ensuring the paste is well broken up.
  5. If using shredded coconut, toast it in a large dry frying pan until it turns a light brown colour, tossing it often to prevent burning.
  6. Fry the onion mixture in the pan for around 30 seconds until its aroma is released.
  7. Briefly fry the chicken pieces in the pan for 3-4 minutes until they are lightly browned.
  8. Pour in the coconut milk, but save the coconut cream for later, along with the lime zest, brown sugar, vinegar and fish sauce if using.
  9. Move everything from the frying pan into your soaked clay pot, crock pot, or an ovenproof casserole dish.
  10. For the clay pot, place it into a cold oven, set to 180°C, and cook for 60 minutes once the oven reaches temperature.
  11. For conventional cooking, transfer the hot contents to a lidded casserole and cook in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes.
  12. For a crock pot, add the hot contents and cook for 4-6 hours.
  13. When the cooking time is complete, take off the lid and stir in the coconut cream and a heaped teaspoon of bottled minced coriander if using.
  14. Cook without a lid for a further 10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken a little. it will not become very thick.
  15. Take the dish from the oven and stir in the juice from half a lime, adjusting to your taste.
  16. Check the seasoning and add a little salt if needed.
  17. Serve the stew over steamed jasmine rice, garnished with coriander leaves.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sodium354800 mg

Recipe details

CategoryStew
AuthorKookaburra