Mr Grubworks’ coconut curried fried chicken

Inspired by Caribbean cuisine, this delicious fusion recipe combines the crispy texture of fried chicken with the rich, tropical notes of coconut. This is my Jamaican spin on karaage chicken. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of enjoying that beautiful, crispy fried chicken, then you’re in for a treat.

Mr Grubworks’ coconut curried fried chicken. Credit: Steven Joyce / Murdoch Books

• serves

  2

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 450 g (1 lb) skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 7½ tsp curry powder
• 4 garlic cloves, grated
• 2 tsp Green Seasoning (see Note)
• 3 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 400 ml (14 fl oz) coconut milk
• 1 egg
• vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, sliced in half
• 2 slices fresh ginger

Coating

• 225 g (8 oz) tapioca starch or cornflour (cornstarch)
• 125 g (4½ oz) desiccated (dried shredded) coconut
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1½ tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1½ tsp dried thyme
• 1½ tsp ground allspice
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper

Ranch

• 100 g (3½ oz) thick mayonnaise
• 150 g (5½ oz) chilled tinned coconut milk (use the thick part of the milk)
• 2 tbsp + 1 tsp sour cream
• 3 tsp desiccated coconut
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 1 spring onion (scallion), very thinly sliced
• salt and pepper

Chilli salt

• 1½ tbsp flaky salt (regular, or smoked for extra flayva)
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

Serves 2-4.

Marinating time: 2 hours or overnight.

Instructions

1. Slice the chicken thighs into 5 cm (2 inch) pieces. Place in a bowl and season with the curry powder, garlic, green seasoning and ginger.
2. Cover with the coconut milk and mix in, making sure every piece of chicken is submerged. Marinate for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
3. In another bowl, mix together all the coating ingredients. Pop to the side until ready to coat.
4. The ranch is so simple; the key is tinned coconut milk and making sure it’s been chilled, because this will enable you to use the fat that will sit at the top; it’s super thick and it’s great for this. Mix all your ranch ingredients in a small bowl, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place into a bowl, crack the egg into the marinated chicken and mix. Then generously coat each chicken thigh in the coating mixture, pressing the mixture into the chicken to ensure it sticks well, NO PIECE OF CHICKEN SHALL GO UNCOVERED. Repeat that after me. Thank you. Allow the chicken to sit for 5–10 minutes before frying – this ensures the coating sticks, but also allows for better cooking as the chicken starts to reach a warmer temperature.
6. In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat at least 13 cm (5 inches) vegetable oil to 140–145°C (285–295°F). Once the oil is hot enough, carefully place a few chicken thighs into the oil and fry for 3–4 minutes, along with the slices of Scotch bonnet pepper and ginger – this will give it an extra kick! Turn occasionally. If needed, work in batches, as you don’t want to overcrowd the oil.
7. Remove the chicken from the oil and place it on a wire rack to let any excess oil drain off.
8. Once all your chicken is fried, remove the Scotch bonnet and increase the temperature of the oil to 185°C (365°F). Return the chicken to the hot oil in batches and fry for another 1–2 minutes, or until the coating is crispy and golden. Remove the chicken from the oil and place it on the wire rack to let any excess oil drain off.
9. For the chilli salt, in a small dish combine the flaky salt, cayenne pepper and chilli powder. Sprinkle over the chicken.
10. Serve hot and enjoy with that cooling ranch, alone or with rice.

 

Notes

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, chicken thighs are by far the best cut of chicken, after the humble wing, of course! Go into your local supermarket or butcher and see how many chicken thighs you can get compared to chicken breasts. It’s a no-brainer in my opinion, but it’s a preference thing, and I must admit it did take me a few years to transition over to this way of thinking.

With its perfect balance of tender meat and crunchy coating, this coconut curried fried chicken is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. And the best part? The rich flayvas of coconut and the perfectly seasoned chicken will transport your taste buds to a tropical paradise. Now, you guys know I had to buss you with a sauce recipe – these are kinda spicy because when we fry the chicken, we infuse the oil with Scotch bonnet pepper and fresh ginger. So this chicken is paired with a beautiful coconut ranch and chilli salt, and it’s sexy. I can’t wait for you to experience and savour this delicious and unique dish!

To make Green Seasoning – a staple in Caribbean cooking – place the following in a blender: 1 green capsicum (bell pepper), cored and deseeded; ½ onion; 35g (1¼ oz) fresh flat-leaf parsley; 35g (1¼ oz) fresh coriander; 35g (1¼ oz) fresh basil leaves; 6 garlic cloves; 5 sprigs fresh thyme; 3 spring onions (scallions); 1 rib celery; ½ Scotch bonnet chilli (pepper); ½ tsp pimento (allspice) berries; 1 tsp salt; 1 ½ tbsp olive oil. Blitz until a smooth paste has formed. It should resemble the consistency of a very thick smoothie. This makes 2-3 jam jars worth. Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week. You can also place the mixture into ice-cube moulds, freeze and pop out of the moulds into a container, so you have little green seasoning cubes on hand in the freezer. This is what I do! This can be frozen for 3-6 months, yet still packs a punch. It’s great for meat, sauce, fish or adding as a base to marinades.

Image and text from Flayvaful by Nathaniel Smith, photography by Steven Joyce (Murdoch Books, RRP $HB49.99).

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.