Fragrant coconut chicken with soba noodles and lots-a lime

The day I made this dish started off with unbelievably torrential rains, then we had sun and 18 degrees for no less than a good 15 minutes, then rain again, then sun, then rain, then sun, then rain, and when I finally went outside to witness what the actual FUCK was up with the gods, it was sunny again. So me and my birks took a trip to the market to figure out what food would be fitting on a day like this. We landed on something that draws inspiration from fragrant turmeric curries, with a punchy cilantro note and noodles instead of rice (because noodles > rice, hot take). It’s warming, it’s spicy, it’s tangy, it’s herby, it’s really really good so you should just try it already.

Ingredients #

For 2:

• 400gr bone in, skin on chicken thighs
• 3 shallots
• Olive oil
• Large chunk of ginger, about 5cm long and 2cm thick
• 3 garlic cloves
• A bunch of cilantro
• 2 spicy green chillies
• Ground turmeric
• Ground coriander
• Two stalks of lemongrass
• 400ml coconut milk
• 400ml water
• 200g sugar snaps
• 1 lime
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 200g soba noodles

Method #

1. Season the chicken thighs all over with salt, be generous here.

2. Heat up a dutch oven or similar heavy bottom pot with a fitting lid over high heat with some olive oil in it. Add the chicken skin down and fry until it’s developed a nice golden brown skin, then flip.

3. Peel the shallots and cut them in quarters. Add them to the pot once the chicken skin is crispy and turn down the heat. Add a tablespoon of turmeric and coriander to the pot and let everything fry together over low heat for a minute or two.

4. In the meantime, in a food processor or blender, blitz up the ginger, green chillies, garlic cloves, and say 2/3rd of the cilantro, saving some of the leafy tops to scatter over later. Add this mix to the pot, stir everything together, and season with salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.

5. Cut the lemongrass through vertically and add it to the pot, you’re gonna fish this out later, it’s just there to give off flavor.

6. Add the water and coconut milk, bring everything up to a simmer, then turn the heat down to low and place the lid on the pot slightly ajar. Simmer for about 40 minutes. I suppose you could absolutely let this sit longer, and perhaps it will get more delicious! But I had to snap a pic before the sun went down so 40m was all I could do for ya guys.

7. After 40 minutes, take out the lemongrass and discard. Cut the sugar snaps vertically in thin strips and add them to the pot.

8. Then take out the chicken and pull away the meat from the bone. You can eat or discard the skin, whatever the vibes are today. Add the chicken back to the pot together with the juice of 1 lime, and taste if it needs any additional salt. Leave the chicken on low heat while you prepare the noodles as they go supa quick.

9. Bring some water to a boil and cook the soba noodles according to package instructions. Or actually, I ignored package instructions and cooked them for 2 minutes instead of the recommended 4, because there are few things sadder than overcooked noodles. I guess this is why I suck at baking.

10. Once cooked, rinse the noodles under cold water to stop the cooking process. Divide them over two bowls and spoon over the chicken, sugar snaps and that vibrant green coconutty broth/sauce/curry? Garnish with the remaining cilantro leaves, some freshly ground pepper and if you happen to have chilli oil or something that obviously would never hurt.

Go get em.