Coconut Lime Chicken

Recipe courtesy of Everyday Eats by Jasmin Weston, published by Plum, RRP $44.95, photography by Ben Dearnley

Fresh and zesty with an incredible depth of flavour, this is the ultimate summer comfort dish. Whipping up a curry in the warmer months is not something that’s on the cards for most of us. This dish, though, is quick, easy and will tickle that curry craving of yours without the hard work.

Serves: 4

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 chicken breast fillets (about 500g in total), sliced in half horizontally to make 4 thin steaks
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1/2 long red chilli, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 400 ml canned coconut cream
• 125 ml (1/2 cup) stock of your choice
• zest and juice of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• handful of fresh coriander leaves
• 1–3 tablespoons sweetener of your choice e.g. sugar, honey, maple syrup (optional)
• 11/2 cups rice, basmati or jasmine

TO SERVE

• 1/2 long red chilli, finely sliced
• fresh coriander leaves
• lime zest
• lime wedges

Method

1. Mise en place (get all your ingredients and equipment ready before you start, see page 28).

2. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts, seasoned with salt and pepper, and sear on both sides for 2–3 minutes or until cooked 50–60 per cent of the way through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate.

3. To the same pan, add the garlic, ginger, chilli and turmeric and cook for 60 seconds until fragrant.

4. Add the coconut cream, stock, lime zest and juice, fish sauce and coriander and stir to combine.

5. Bring the sauce to a low simmer before tasting it to ensure it is balanced to your liking. Does it need more salt? Fish sauce? Lime? Or perhaps it’s too umami for you? If so, try adding a sweetener you have on hand, 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Remember Rule #6: Season, Taste, Season, Taste.

6. Once you’re happy with the sauce, return the chicken to the pan, reduce the heat to medium–low, cover the pan and allow the heat to steam the chicken until cooked completely. This will take an additional 2–3 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, wash the rice until the water runs clear. Add the rice to a pot with 3 cups (750 ml) of water and bring to the boil over high heat with the lid on (this should take approximately 5 minutes). Once it starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and let it cook for another 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn the heat off completely and allow the residual heat to steam the rice for an additional 15.minutes. Do not lift the lid until you’re ready to serve. Trust the process.

8. By the time your rice is cooked, the chicken should be nice and tender and cooked to perfection.

9. Take the chicken out of the sauce and carefully slice the breasts.

10. Serve the chicken on a bed of rice, topped with that beautiful creamy, zesty sauce and extra chilli, coriander and lime zest..Enjoy with extra lime wedges on the side for squeezing.

Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to a month.