Thai green curry chicken and rice tray bake
YOU WILL NEED
4 tbsp Thai green curry paste 300ml water 300ml coconut milk 2 tsp fish sauce sea salt flakes 300g jasmine rice, rinsed well 6-8 chicken thighs (approximately 1kg), skin on, bone in, fat trimmed 200g edamame beans or peas, or a mix To serve 100g natural yogurt
2 tsp sweet chilli sauce 1 lime, cut into wedges handful of coriander, chopped red chillies, finely sliced (optional)
DIRECTIONS
■ Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas Mark 6. Put 2 tbsp of the curry paste into a large roasting tray or oven dish (approximately 25 x 35cm) and gradually mix in the water to loosen. Pour in the coconut milk, add the fish sauce and a couple of pinches of salt, and stir to combine (don’t worry if the coconut milk is lumpy at this point, as it will dissolve as it cooks), then mix in the rice.
■ Slash each chicken thigh twice, then coat with the remaining 2 tbsp of curry paste. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt flakes, then place the chicken on top of the rice skin side up and cover the dish with foil.
■ Cook for 30 minutes, then discard the foil. Move the chicken to one side while you give the rice a stir, then replace the chicken. Bake for a further 15 minutes, then take the tray out of the oven and mix the edamame beans or peas into the rice. Return to the oven and cook for a further 15 minutes, or until the rice is done and the chicken is completely cooked through.
■ Taste the rice – if you’d like more heat, move the chicken to one side and stir in extra curry paste (loosen with water first, if needed). Check the seasoning and adjust with salt or fish sauce, if needed. If you like a crispier skin, turn the grill to high and grill the whole dish for a minute or two.
■ Put the yogurt into a small bowl and stir in the sweet chilli sauce. Serve with wedges of lime, sprinkled with chopped coriander and chillies, and use the yogurt for drizzling.