This Sunday's supper was an adaptation of a recipe I found online, but I had to take a few liberties along the way, and now I have some ideas about what to change next time.
Ingredients (Original)
1 whole chicken (3-4 lbs)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cans coconut milk (15 oz. each)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups fresh basil leaves
6 cloves garlic
1 knob (2") fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 fresh Thai red chili
Ingredients (As Made)
1 whole chicken (4.8 lbs)
coarse salt (not measured)
2 cans coconut milk (13.5 oz. each) (shrinkflation)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups fresh basil leaves (approx.)
More than 6 cloves of garlic
1 knob (3") fresh ginger, peeled, irregularly sliced
1 red chili of unknown nationality
Original Directions (Simplified)
Season chicken inside and out with the salt. Broil top & bottom until the skin has browned and crisped slightly, about 6-8 minutes per side.
Set crock pot to low. Add the coconut milk and chicken broth, and blend with whisk. Add basil, garlic, ginger, and chili. Stir to combine.
Place chicken in slow cooker breast-side down. Cover and cook on low until the chicken is tender and fragrant, approx. 4 to 6 hours.
Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Stir lime juice into the sauce and serve with a handful of fresh basil as garnish. Chicken should be tender enough to come apart with a fork. Serve with sauce over rice.
My Commentary
The coconut milk was separated, of course, I let the crock pot heat it up so it would blend. I also started broiling the chicken and preparing my other ingredients. I sliced apart the chili pepper into four sections to flavor my broth, crushed plenty of garlic, and for the first time ever in my life, peeled and sliced a chunk of ginger root. This last ingredient is some strong-smelling stuff! I've only used dried powder in a spice canister before. I like it, though, and I may need to use it more often.
By the time the coconut milk and broth were whisked together, the chicken was done with both sides. I put the chicken in the crock pot with the blended liquid, then started adding ingredients. I almost forgot to add the giant container of basil I had sitting right there on the counter. In fact, I didn't notice it until everything had been cooking for an hour. Oops!
I added the basil mid-way through, and also remembered to be a food blogger again. The extra broiling broiling did crisp up the skin a bit, but I'm not sure it helped with anything else besides presentation.
I also decided to prepare wild rice instead of regular white rice, so I started that about an hour before dinner, and cranked up the heat on the crock pot to make sure it would be done when I wanted it to be done, too. I used 1/2 cup rice and 2 cups water. After boiling for a good 40 minutes, I poured out my pot of rice and water into a strainer before returning the rice to the pot to serve.
Wild rice is not closely related to proper rice, but is another edible grass seed. It remains slightly firm, but not quite crunchy, when properly cooked, and has a pleasant nutty flavor. I quite like it, and it is doubtless a good source of dietary fiber. If you haven't tried it before, do give it a go!
After placing the chicken on a serving platter, I poured the liquid through a strainer into a bowl. It's not thick enough for a gravy. Perhaps in the future, I'll try adding some cornstarch to a portion. It did flavor the rice nicely, but also flowed all over the plate and soaked my breadsticks. Speaking of which, I don't really have a recipe. That was purely from mixing flour with my starter discard until it felt right. Lastly, I cut some carrots and celery for extra veggie goodness. I skipped the garnish in my haste to set the table and just make sure everything was done.
Conclusions
The chicken and wild rice were delicious. My parents agreed. I liked the simple blend of ginger, garlic, and basil. I didn't really taste the chili, but I'm sure it added a bit of something. The leftover liquid and chicken offer lots of possibilities. Perhaps there will be sequel posts as I decide how to use it? No promises.
