Sweet Chilli Chicken

This is one of those recipes that happened by accident.  It started off as a Thai red curry and then just grew.  What it resulted in is almost Cantonese style - spicy, sticky and slightly sweet.  

The marinade works well for a BBQ, slow roasting a rack of ribs or ‘zizzing’ up some tiger king prawns and vegetables.  The trick is allowing the sauce to reduce to the right consistency and caramelise.  After that the options are limited only by your imagination.

2 tbsp Thai Red Curry Paste (you can buy it ready made or see below for making it yourself - its much better!)

1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce

Zest and juice of 1 Lime

Small pinch of Caster Sugar

1 tin Coconut Cream

8 Spring Onions (½” pieces)

1 Red Pepper (sliced)

1 Orange/Yellow Pepper (sliced)

½ Cucumber (cut into thick batons)

100g Cashew Nuts

Handful Fresh Coriander

6 Chicken Thighs (boneless and skinless)

Drizzle of Olive Oil

Combine the red curry paste, soy, zest and lime juice, caster sugar, coconut cream in the pan and heat through.  Add the chicken and leave to marinade for at least 2 hours.

When ready to cook the curry, remove the chicken thighs from the marinade and brown lightly in the olive oil on both sides, set aside.

Sauté the peppers and spring onions 3 minutes and add to the chicken.

Place the marinade in an oven and hob proof pan and heat through.  Add the chicken, chicken stock, peppers and spring onions and heat through.

Place in an oven at 180 degrees for 1 hour.  Remove from the oven and check the thighs are cooked through.  The sauce will probably still be quite runny at this stage so place the pan on the hob and bring to the boil.  The sauce will reduce to a dark syrupy consistency which is a little sticky.

Add the toasted cashew nuts and fresh coriander and serve with rice.

Thai Red Curry Paste

You will probably have some of this paste left over.  Just add to coconut milk or cream and meat, fish or vegetables for an authentic Thai curry.

4 Red Chilli’s (medium strength)

2 tsp Coriander Seeds

2 tsp Cumin Seeds

2 tsp chopped Lemon Grass

2 tsp grated Fresh Ginger

1 large Onion

5 cloves Garlic

Juice of 1 Lime

4 dessertspoons Sweet
Paprika

Combine all of  the ingredients together in a food processor or blender and blitz to a paste. This paste will keep in an airtight jar refrigerated for up to 2 months.