Recipe video above. Such a spectacular way to cook a whole chicken! Cooked in a Thai red curry sauce with potatoes and beans, the pot-roasting method keeps the chicken ultra juicy. Plus, we can get away with store bought curry paste here because the chicken juices add a stack of money-can't-buy flavour into the sauce.Easy enough for midweek, definitely impressive enough for company!
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr15 minutesmins
De-chilling and resting1 hourhr10 minutesmins
Total Time2 hourshrs35 minutesmins
Course: Mains
Cuisine: Thai-ish
Keyword: One Pot Dinner, pot roasted chicken, Red curry, Thai chicken
Servings: 5- 6 people
Calories: 766cal
Author: Nagi
Ingredients
1.8 kg/ 3.6 lbwhole chicken
1tspcooking/kosher salt
3tbspvegetable oil
115g/ 4 oz (1/2 cup)Thai red curry paste (Maesri recommended, Note 1)
2large garlic cloves, finely grated (Note 2)
2tspfresh ginger, finely grated (Note 2)
2tspfresh lemongrass, finely grated, white / pale green part only (Note 2)
1cupchicken stock/broth, low sodium
400 ml/ 14 oz coconut cream(Note 3)
6kaffir lime leaves, crushed in hand (Note 4)
1tbspwhite sugar
2tspfish sauce
600g/ 1.2lb small potatoes (12 or so), skin on (Note 5)
120g/ 4ozgreen beans, trimmed and cut in half
15Thai basil leaves, or more! (sub ordinary Italian basil, Note 6)
De-chill & salt chicken - Take the chicken out of the fridge 1 hour prior. Pat dry then sprinkle with the salt.
Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan).
Sauté curry paste - Use a large, oven-proof pot with a lid. Heat oil on medium high heat. Cook curry paste, garlic, ginger and lemongrass for 2 minutes. This step substantially improves the flavour of store bought curry paste.
Sauce - Add chicken stock, stir, then simmer rapidly for 3 minutes to reduce by half. Stir in coconut cream, hand-crushed kaffir lime leaves, sugar and fish sauce.
Place chicken into the sauce. Spoon over sauce. Surround with potatoes.
Bake 1 hour - Place the lid on and bake for 40 minutes. Remove lid spoon sauce over chicken (ie. baste). Turn the oven up to 220°C/425°F (200°C fan). Bake uncovered for 10 minutes, baste, bake another 10 minutes.
Beans, then bake 10 minutes - Push beans into the sauce (wherever they fit!). Baste again then bake for a final 10 minutes (no lid).
Rest 10 minutes - Remove chicken onto a plate (Note 7). Rest 10 minutes. Put lid on pot to keep sauce warm.
Serving - Carve chicken, place on platter. Stir basil leaves into sauce. Pour/spoon sauce, potatoes and beans over chicken. Garnish with chilli and coriander, if desired. Serve with jasmine rice!
Notes
1. Curry paste - My position on the best Thai red curry is fairly well documented on this website! Maesri is the best - there is just no question. Find it at Woolies, Harris Farms, Asian stores and online. (Overseas Amazon - US, Canada, UK).2. Grating - Use a microplane or similar to grate it finely so it mixes in really well with the curry paste. It spruces up store bought paste to make it taste like homemade.Lemongrass - 1 tbsp lemongrass paste can be used.3. Coconut cream - Not all coconut cream is created equal! Good ones are 100% coconut and have better flavour. Economical ones use water + thickener. Coconut milk will also work but coconut flavour is not as intense (the sauce gets a ton of juices from chicken which dilutes the coconut flavour which is why coconut cream works better than milk).4. Kaffir lime leaves - fairly accessible these days at large grocery stores and Asian stores. They freeze 100% perfectly. Use leftover kaffire lime leaves in Thai red curry, Tom Yum soup, Thai meatballs, beef rendang, Malaysian chicken satay curry, green curry, golden turmeric baked fish and everybody's favourite Asian coconut rice!5. Potatoes - Small, skin on whole potatoes are best as the skin holds them together while they cook up beautifully creamy inside. If using cut pieces, add them partway through cooking else they will disintegrate.6. Thai Basil has a slight aniseed flavour. Italian basil can be used in a pinch! Really adds a special touch to the finished dish so try not to skip it. But if this is the only thing you're missing, still worth making!7. Removing chicken - I stick tongs inside cavity + spatula to support underneath, so as not to ruin skin