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Massaman Roast Chicken

Written on: November 21, 2013

It’s the wettest November weekend for 16 years, miserable, teeming down. What to do? I pull out one of my favourite cooking mags, ABC Delicious, and knock up this mouth-watering Massaman Roast Chicken… and a soggy evening was turned into a gourmet’s delight! You won’t believe the taste of the chicken!

Ingredients

• 1.5kg whole chicken (can’t go past the Seasoned Chicken from Aldi’s… so-o-o-o tender, leave out the rinsing section below)
• 2 stalks lemon grass, one grated, one cut into thirds
• 2Tbs grated ginger
• 2 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded
• 2 limes, halved, 1 juiced
• ¼ cup (70g) Massaman curry paste
• 1Tbs sunflower oil (I use rice bran)
• 500g small chat potatoes; you can par boil them but I just tossed them in
• 1 cup (250ml) chicken stock
• 400ml can coconut milk
• 2tsp tamarind puree
• 1Tbs fish sauce
• 1tsp grated palm sugar or brown sugar (I use the syrup, much easier)
• 2Tbs chopped unsalted peanuts and coriander sprigs to serve

Preheat the oven to 200° C
Rinse chicken and pat dry inside and out with paper towel. Place in an oiled roasting pan. Combine grated lemongrass with half the ginger and half the kaffir lime leaves in a bowl. Place in chicken cavity with halved lime and remaining 3 pieces of lemongrass. Tie chicken legs with kitchen string

Combine 1Tbs curry paste with oil (I left the oil out, felt it was superfluous). Rub all over the chicken and season. Cover loosely with foil and roast for 40 minutes.

Remove foil, add the potatoes to the pan and baste with pan juices. Roast for 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender and juices run clear when thickest part of the chicken thigh is pierced. Transfer chicken and potatoes to a serving dish, loosely cover with foil and set aside to rest.

Meanwhile, place roasting pan on the cooktop, add remaining ginger and 2Tbs curry paste, and stir over a low heat for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add stock and simmer for 3-4 minutes until reduced by half. Add coconut milk and simmer until reduced and thickened. Add tamarind puree, fish sauce, sugar and juice of remaining lime, then stir to combine. Pour gravy into a jug.

Carve chicken, garnish with peanuts, coriander and remaining kaffir lime leaves, then serve with the Massaman gravy.

All due credit to ABC Delicious

 

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