Catherine Jackson served up this family favourite with Tadik rice in There's No Taste Like Home.
Ingredients
Before you start...
The chicken will need to marinade for a minimum of 2 hours.
For the marinade:
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- Zest of 1 lime
- Pinch of saffron + 1 tbsp hot water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
For main dish:
- 8 free range chicken thighs, skinned
- 3 tbsp creamed coconut
- Large pinch of saffron
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 6 stalks of celery, cut into 1cm lengths
- 6 cloves
- 2x 2 cm cinnamon sticks
- Handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 2 green chillies
- 300 ml10½ fl oz chicken stock
- 150 ml5¼ fl oz coconut milk
- Salt and ground black pepper
- Handful of coriander leaves, chopped
- Double cream
- For the Tadik rice
- 350 g12¼ oz long grain rice
- 40 g1½ oz butter
- Salt
Method: How to make Granny Evie’s chicken and coconut casserole
Mix together the saffron and water for the marinade. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl, big enough to hold all the chicken pieces. Put in the chicken, mix well and leave for a minimum of 2 hours.
Put the creamed coconut and saffron into a small bowl and pour in enough hot water to cover. Mix well, until you have a smooth paste.
Brown the marinated chicken in the oil, in a large sauté pan. When browned, add the onion and fry until golden brown.
To the sauté pan, add the garlic, coconut and saffron paste, chopped chillies and mint, vinegar and spices.
Pour in the coconut milk, and enough chicken stock to just cover the chicken.
Stir, bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer. Cook until the chicken is tender.
Put the rice on to boil and cook until there is still a bite.
Drain and rinse the rice. In the same pan, melt the butter. Return the rice to the pan, with salt to taste. Mix well with the butter, put the lid firmly back, using a folded tea towel between the lid and pan. Put the pan on to a medium heat for 20 minutes, then turn heat down to minimum for a further 10 minutes. Turn off heat and leave.
When the chicken is tender, adjust seasoning, and, if you wish, add 2 tablespoons of cream.
To serve:
On a large serving dish, turn out the rice, loosening it round the edges first. There will be a golden crust on the top – this is the “tadik”, traditionally given to the children. Arrange the chicken around the edge of the rice, ladle the sauce over it, and finish with the chopped coriander
