Saturday, April 14, 2012

lime and coconut chicken









Just look at this chicken for a moment.  It's saying something to you.  Do you hear what it's saying to you?  It's saying HALL OF FAME.  This chicken is so good.  It's incredibly flavorful.  I decided to use chicken thighs so it was flavorful and really juicy.  With a squirt of lime juice to top it off it's an absolute delight.  It was a hit with the entire family!

lime and coconut chicken (my friend Annie found it at Chaos in the Kitchen)
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons oil (I used 1 tablespoon)
zest of 1 lime
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar (I used 1 tablespoon)
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 cup coconut milk
pinch cayenne
1 small fresh hot chili such as Thai or Serrano, minced (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
fresh limes cut into wedges

Trim fat from chicken breasts.  Starting on thick side of the breasts slice the chicken breasts almost in half, then open each like a book.
Place each open breast between two pieces of plastic wrap, wax paper or inside a large, open, ziploc bag.
Using a small heavy pan, bottle or smooth meat mallet lightly pound each breast into even thickness.
Mix all remaining ingredients except fresh cilantro and limes.  Add chicken and marinade to a large bowl or ziploc bag and chill in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours.
Once you're ready to cook the chicken, remove each breast from the marinade.  Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a rolling boil.  Boil continuously for at least 2 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn.
In a heavy skillet or grill pan, heat a splash of oil over high heat.  Cook the chicken in batches to prevent over crowding the pan.  Place the breasts in the hot pan and cook without turning for a couple minutes.  Flip the breasts over and cook until the other side is golden.
Place cooked breasts on a plate in a warm oven or under foil while cooking the remaining chicken.  Sprinkle with fresh lime juice and cilantro.  Serve with sauce on the side and with jasmine rice.

3 comments:

  1. Tried this last night and LOVED it! This will definitely be a repeat dish at our house!

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  2. Sounds interesting. Why is it called coconut chicken? Am I missing something?

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  3. It's the coconut milk that I forgot to put in the list of ingredients! Thank you for catching that, Erin!

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