Ok, this one has a lot of hyphens, and is quite complicated for a family meal. I love Diana Henry, however, and wanted something a bit special as both children go back to school tomorrow and it's all feeling a bit weird. They definitely need to go, and are desperate to do so, and (though we have all got on pretty well, considering) the grown-ups definitely need a break from the mad multi-tasking. It's still scary, though, and a big step away from the new normality and into the unknown.
Anyway, chicken. First make a spice mix. You will need:
1 tsp black mustard seeds; 1 tsp black peppercorns; 1 tbsp cumin seeds; 1 tbsp coriander seeds; 1 tsp garam masala; Half tsp ground turmeric; Quarter tsp ground cinnamon; 2 red chillis, deeseeded; 3 garlic cloves; 2cm fresh ginger; 2 tbsp malt vinegar; 1 tbsp groundnut oil.
Toast the mustard seeds in a dry frying plan until they pop, then add the rest of the spices and cook for another 2 minutes. Then zizz in a mini-blender with the chilli, garlic, ginger, vinegar and oil. Do not fail to put the blender lid on properly and spread turmeric gunk over half your kitchen...
Rub about half of the spice mix onto a whole chicken (about 1.8kg) and season.
In a pot big enough to hold the chicken, fry a chopped onion in 1tbsp of oil until soft and golden. Add a 400g tin of cherry tomatoes, seasoning and a tsp of brown sugar. Reduce for a few minutes, then add 400g of creamed coconut. Bring to the boil, then plop in the chicken and 400g sweet potatoes chopped into chunks.
Cook in a 200 oven for 20 minutes uncovered, then cover, reduce heat to 180 and cook for a further 30 minutes. Baste with the juices and do a final 15 minutes while you cook some rice.
It smelled amazing, and looked great, but was both delicious and disappointing. The sauce and the spicing, especially the sweet potato, which had soaked up all the juices were wonderful. The chicken, however, was a bit sad - I'd spent a large amount more than usual on a happy, organic chicken, which was terrible, stringy and tasteless. The rest of it received rave reviews, with even Child 2, not a sweet potato fan, saying it was 10/10. Next time I'm going to try a better chicken, or maybe chicken pieces cooked for less time. I'll definitely be trying again, though.
Celebration dinner over, bags packed, uniform ready - on to the next stage of this mess!
Oof, shame about the chicken. It was a good plan and it sounds like a very promising recipe, but that's not a good outcome.
ReplyDeleteI hope the first day back has gone well (and all the days after, fingers crossed).
Yes, shame, even my carnivore son turned his nose up. The rest was amazing, though, so I'm counting it as a win. They both had a ball today, going back will definitely improve mental health all round. Fingers crossed nothing scuppers it...
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