Semur chicken

Semur is a hearty staple dish in which a whole chicken is cooked in a thick soy broth with vermicelli noodles. The Asian flavours of lemongrass, soy and chilli feature in many Torres Strait Island dishes, influenced by the multiculturalism in the Straits.

1 HOUR 15 MINUTES | SERVES 6 8 | EASY

whole chicken 1.5kg

vegetable oil 4 tbsp

onion 1, sliced

garlic 5 cloves, minced

ginger 10cm piece, peeled and finely sliced

lemongrass stalks 2, crushed and chopped into 5cm pieces

chilli paste 1 tbsp

soy sauce 250ml

dark beer (preferably Guinness) or vegetable stock 750ml

whole black peppercorns ½ tsp

vermicelli noodles 250g

spring onions 120g, chopped pak choi or swiss chard 250g, sliced

cooked rice to serve

1 Joint the chicken into large, chunky pieces (leave on the bone). Heat the oil in a large pot over a high heat and brown the chicken, turning it with tongs until the pieces are golden all over. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass and chilli paste, and continue to cook for a few minutes until the onion is browned.

2 Add the soy and cook for 10-15 minutes. Turn down the heat to medium, add the beer and peppercorns, bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, covered, for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and just falling off the bone. When it is ready, tip the noodles into a heatproof bowl, cover with just-boiled water and let stand until the noodles are transparent. Drain and add to the pot with the chicken and vegetables.

3 Add the spring onions and greens, then cook for 10 minutes. Serve with rice in bowls.

PER SERVING (8) 439 kcals | fat 17.3G saturates 3.5G | carbs 35.9G | sugars 9.6G fibre 2.4G | protein 28.4G | salt 4.7G