CHICKEN CURRY WITH SWEET POTATOES AND COCONUT MILK

INGREDIENTS

Time: 1 hour 20 minutes Yield: 4 servings 1 (1.6kg) whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces 2½ tsp kosher salt, more as needed Black pepper, as needed 2 tbsp peanut, safflower or vegetable oil ¼ cup finely chopped spring onion 1½ knobs fresh ginger, peeled and grated (1½ tbsp) 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 to 2 jalapeno or Serrano chillies, to taste, seeded and finely chopped 2 tbsp red curry paste 1 (450ml) can coconut milk 2 medium sweet potatoes (450g), peeled and cut into 4cm chunks ¾ cup coconut flakes 1 tbsp black or brown mustard seeds Fresh coriander leaves Lime wedges

METHOD

Heat oven to 160C. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil. Brown chicken pieces, in batches if necessary, until golden all over, 6 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken to a plate. Stir spring onion, ginger, garlic and chillies into pot and reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in curry paste and cook 1 minute. Stir in coconut milk and sweet potatoes. Arrange chicken pieces on top of potatoes, placing breast meat on top. Pour in enough water to come halfway up the sides of chicken. Bring to a boil. Cover pot and transfer to oven. Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large dry skillet over medium heat, toast coconut flakes until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add mustard seeds and toast until they begin to pop, 1 minute more. Transfer to a bowl and season with a pinch of salt. Transfer chicken and sweet potatoes to a platter. Return Dutch oven to the stove and simmer over medium-high heat until cooking liquid has thickened to a saucelike consistency, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour over chicken and potatoes. Sprinkle with the coconut and mustard seed mixture and coriander. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing.