ROAST CHICKEN
My favourite Sunday roast is a chicken. It always goes down well with the family and the leftovers can be used for stock, sandwiches or salads. I often infuse it with fresh and fragrant Malaysian flavours. Here, the coconut milk and spice paste make a wonderful ‘gravy’. I serve it with Turmeric Rice (here ) or plain rice and a large sprinkling of crispy shallots.
Serves 4–6
1 medium chicken (about 1.5kg)
1½ tbsp coarse sea salt
400ml can of full-fat coconut milk (shake well before use)
For the spice paste
2 lemongrass stalks (tender base only), roughly chopped
4 fresh green chillies, roughly sliced (de-seed if preferred)
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp salt
vegetable oil, to loosen, if necessary
Place the chicken in a roasting tray, rub it all over with the salt and set aside.
Place all the ingredients for the spice paste in a blender and blitz until you have a smooth paste, adding a little oil to loosen the paste if it is too dry.
Rub the spice paste all over the chicken, then set aside to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C /160°C fan/350°F /Gas 4.
Place the chicken in the oven and cook for 1 hour, depending on its size, then pour the coconut milk over the chicken and cook for a further 20 minutes. To check if the chicken is cooked, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. If it reads over 75°C the chicken is ready. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, pierce the fattest part of the thigh with a skewer. The juices should run clear. If they don’t, give the chicken a further 10 minutes in the oven.
Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes, covered with foil, then serve it with the coconut gravy.
