My world is full of recipes that I’ve pulled from various magazines and newspapers over the years. I always say ‘I’m going to try that’ but I rarely do..
And so it was today that a page from The Times – nothing if not top-drawer, me – from 2015 appeared on my desk just as I realised that I hadn’t started the dinner yet. A message from beyond? Possibly, or more likely it had been unearthed from its resting place by a rare but enthusiastic tidy of my office. In any case it gave me what I needed for dinner this evening – something different, but easy, and above all, quick. We both really enjoyed it.
This recipe will feed 4-6 but there were just the two of us for dinner this evening. We had way too much sauce, but it was delicious so neither of us was complaining!
I think that this recipe is quick enough for a weekday dinner, especially if you do as I did today, and use a jar of good quality ready-made Green Curry sauce. It’s certainly good enough for dinner with friends too.
Give it a go.. just don’t leave it 7 years as I did!
EQUIPMENT:
- A large shallow frying pan with a lid. If you don’t have that, use a frying pan to start it off and transfer the ingredients to a shallow casserole with a lid for the oven part.
- A food tongs
- A plate
- A good pair of oven gloves, or a dry thick tea towel.
- A splatter guard if you have one.
- Large saucepan, for the rice.
INGREDIENTS: To feed 4 
- 1 chicken breast – preferably skin-on, per person
- A medium sized plate
- a jar of Green Curry Paste, or make your own,
- A tin of full fat Coconut Milk
- a selection of vegetables, cut into bite-sized pieces.
- salt
- Basmati Rice, to serve.
METHOD:
- Heat the oven to 180º Fan or the equivalent.
- Heat the pan on a high heat and drizzle over a little oil
- Add the chicken breasts, skin-side down to start. As soon as the skin has crisped up a little, turn them over for just a minute or so.
- Remove the chicken to a plate and keep warm.
- Return the pan to the hob, and add the Curry paste – see NOTE 1 – it will sizzle fiercely, so now is the time to use your splatter guard.
- Stir the paste with a wooden spoon to allow the spices to waken up.
- Add the tin of Coconut milk to the curry paste, breaking up any lumps as you go. Add a pinch of salt now.
- Return the Chicken – skin-side up again – to the sauce. Cover the pan and transfer the whole lot to the oven.
- Set the timer for 15-20 minutes while you prepare the vegetables.
- Today I used 2 different types of fine peppers, some French beans, and some fresh sweetcorn which I took off the cob. See NOTES 2 for vegetable suggestions.
- Once the 15-20 mins is up, remove the pan from the oven – please remember that the handle will be roasting hot!!
- Have a heat-proof board handy to rest it on. The Coconut milk will be bubbling.
- Remove the lid and give it a stir. Taste the sauce to make sure it’s spicy enough. Add some more paste if required. For remedial help, see NOTES 3
- Add in the vegetables.
- Return the pan to the oven without the lid and give it another 15 minutes uncovered.
- I started cooking the rice at this stage.
- After the 2nd cooking time, check that the vegetables are cooked but still have a little bite. Mine were all nicely cooked after the 15 minutes today.
- Serve with the boiled Basmati rice
NOTES:
- Thai Green Curry Paste can be fiercely hot, or very mild – I’ve been ‘bitten’ several times, so I tend to add just half of the jar to start off, adding more if it needs it after tasting. It’s easy to add more, but not so easy to cool down a curry like this, so proceed cautiously until you get to know your brand of paste.
- In future when I’m making this, I’ll add some sprouting Broccoli and some mini Pak Choi, not to mention a big handful of Coriander to garnish it. However, today I just used what was there. Virtually any raw vegetable is suitable, although I’d pre-cook and drain mushrooms to remove most of their liquid. Red onion is a great addition, cut into crescents. Shredded carrots, Spring onions too.
- If you think your sauce is too spicy for your own or your guests’ taste, adding a large peeled, raw potato for the remainder of the cooking time will help to remove some of the heat. If that doesn’t work, you might have to get into diluting the sauce, by taking out half of it, and adding another tin of Coconut Milk.
I started writing down recipes in an old copybook when I was about 16. With 6 children at home, my Mother was always glad of a hand in the kitchen, and really allowed us to experiment - as long as we washed up afterwards, and left the kitchen immaculate! Having a tidy kitchen has followed me through my life, as has the habit of writing down my favourite recipes; except that these days I write them for my website, and add photographs when I can. The website really started when it occurred to me that my daughter might like to have these recipes when I've forgotten them. In my early days of cooking for family and friends, I used to phone my Mum all the time to ask her for the recipe for some of our favourite family dinners. She rarely had a recipe to hand - I think, like me, she made a lot of it up as she went along.. So welcome to Eating for Ireland - these are the recipes that my friends and family having been eating these past 40 years.. yes, I truly am ancient! They are tried and tested, and have worked for me for all that time - I have updated them as new ingredients became available - I really hope you'll find something that you can make into a family favourite of your own. You don't have to tell anyone where you found these great new dishes that you're serving up - it can be our little secret, but I'd really love it if you could give me a sneaky 'follow' on Facebook and Instagram.. So off you go - have a good rummage around, you're bound to find something new! My sincere thanks to all of you who have found a recipe that you liked and dropped me a line to tell me - I really do love to hear from you! Happy Cooking! Becks xx