Chicken in Coconut Milk with Lemongrass

All the ingredients in the name of this recipe called out to me: Chicken in Coconut Milk with Lemongrass. The rest of the ingredients listed had my mouth watering: cilantro, garlic, green onions, butter, leafy greens, dried anise, and a bit of stick cinnamon. The author doesn’t list it under a particular type of cuisine, but it has a Thai feel to it. My husband prefers boneless, skinless chicken breasts, so I rarely get to roast an entire chicken. I had no idea what I was missing!

Our piece about Jamie Oliver’s chicken in milk got me thinking about other possibilities for cooking a whole chicken in milk — what could be easier than filling a pot with liquid and spices, turning on the heat, and walking away until what’s left is the most succulent fall-off-the-bone bird?

Recipe Author: Sara Kate Gillingham at Kitchn
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The Ingredients

I used a 3 3/4 pound roasting chicken and seasoned it with salt and pepper overnight. A large plastic zipper bag was perfect for the task. I removed it 30 minutes before I wanted to start cooking so it could come up to room temperature.

My local grocery store doesn’t stock fresh lemongrass stalks, so I use Gourmet Garden’s lemongrass paste. It’s convenient to store in my freezer since lemongrass isn’t something I use regularly. I always prefer fresh produce if I can find it, but I’ve found this is a good substitute. I used a 3-inch long piece straight from the tube (about the length of my index finger).

Lastly, I used baby spinach leaves as the greens for a few reasons. First, they are small enough that I didn’t feel the need to tear them. Second, they don’t have that bitter taste that fully grown spinach can take on. And finally, I was able to buy the spinach pre-washed and ready to go.

Chicken in Coconut Milk with Lemongrass Ingredients

The Process

Although it’s not listed, this recipe was prepped in 10 minutes. The chicken cooked in 80 minutes, and the total time was 1 hour 40 minutes including wilting the greens and carving the chicken. My 5-quart cast-iron casserole was more than big enough to accommodate the chicken and left plenty of room for a large spoon when it came time to baste.

Note: It’s not listed in the instructions, but I used a slotted spoon to remove the lemon wedges and garlic cloves along with the cinnamon stick and star anise. I don’t think biting down on those would be a good experience!

Chicken in Coconut Milk with Lemongrass
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So how was it?

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This recipe is phenomenal! I didn't need to adjust the seasonings or add any after serving. That rarely happens. The chicken fell off the bone as I was carving it. Roasting mellowed and blended the flavors of the broth very nicely. There was a hint of lemon flavor, but none of the flavors overpowered another. One bowl of roasted chicken, spinach and jasmine rice was very filling. My husband and I both had generous bowls and there are at least enough leftovers for another meal. This will be made again!
Candice
Candicehttps://www.hungrypinner.com
I'm Candice, and I'm The Hungry Pinner. I created this blog to share my love for cooking and my experiences with the MANY recipes I've found on Pinterest over the years. Join me as I blog my way through those recipes to find out if they are worth trying yourself.

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This recipe is phenomenal! I didn't need to adjust the seasonings or add any after serving. That rarely happens. The chicken fell off the bone as I was carving it. Roasting mellowed and blended the flavors of the broth very nicely. There was a hint of lemon flavor, but none of the flavors overpowered another. One bowl of roasted chicken, spinach and jasmine rice was very filling. My husband and I both had generous bowls and there are at least enough leftovers for another meal. This will be made again!Chicken in Coconut Milk with Lemongrass