DINNERS TO IMPRESS A DUCHESS!

RECIPE BY AYSHA BORA SERVES 4 COOKING 1 HOUR, 20 MINUTES (PLUS REFRIGERATION)

1 large chicken, jointed into 8 pieces, excess skin trimmed away 1 large ripe tomato, roughly

chopped 1 onion, quartered 15g fresh root ginger, peeled 4 garlic cloves, peeled 6 chillies, stems removed, deseeded (use fewer if you prefer milder curries) 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon ground turmeric 2 tablespoons coconut oil 2 x 400ml tins coconut milk 3 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled,

halved

juice of ½ lemon chopped fresh coriander, rice, chapatis or flatbreads to serve

1. Score each piece of chicken in two or three places, slicing about 1cm into the meat.

2. Put tomato, onion, ginger, garlic, chillies, cumin, coriander, turmeric, salt and pepper into a food processor, then blend to a rough paste. Rub one-third of the paste all over the chicken, into the cuts and under the skin, reserving the rest of the mixture. Refrigerate chicken

for at least 1 hour or up to 5 hours.

3. Preheat grill to highest setting and line a large baking dish with foil.

4. In a large pan, melt the coconut oil on medium heat. Add remaining paste and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until all of the moisture evaporates. Increase heat slightly, cooking for 3-5 minutes until the paste is thick and dark. Add coconut milk and simmer for 25-30 minutes until sauce is thick.

5. Put marinated chicken, skin-side up, in lined baking dish, grilling for 15 minutes until well coloured and charred, then turn chicken over and grill for another 5 minutes to make sure it is cooked through.

6. Stir chicken and any juices into curry pan, bringing to a simmer. Cover and cook for 5 minutes until the flavours have combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

7. Add boiled eggs and lemon juice to taste. Sprinkle with chopped coriander, and serve with rice and chapatis.