THAI GREEN CURRY WHOLE CHICKEN WITH NUOC CHAM HERB SALAD AND THAI COCONUT RICE

ingredients

1 thai green curry whole chicken

For the salad

½ bunch thai basil leaves 

½ watercress

1 bunch cilantro, leaves and tender stems

¼ bunch mint leaves

1 cup nouc cham sauce

1 cup wonton chips

For the rice

½ teaspoon coconut oil

2 cups jasmine white rice, rinsed

13.5 oz canned coconut milk

2 tsp salt

1 ¾ cups water

instructions

Roast the chicken in the oven. While the chicken cooks, we’ll make the rice and assemble the salad. For the salad, you can buy nouc cham sauce or you can make it (Chef Aidan’s recipe is on the bottom here for you. If you’re making it, do this first). For the rice, start with a deep-sided pot and rub the coconut oil on the bottom to coat. Add the rice, coconut milk, salt, and water, set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Stir Stir occasionally to keep rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Once the liquid has begun to gently bubble, stop stirring, and reduce the heat to low so it’s at a constant simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and let simmer 15 to 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Check the doneness by pulling the rice to the side of the pot with a fork. If there is still a good amount of liquid left, steam for a few minutes longer. If the liquid is gone, turn off the heat. Set aside.

Once the chicken is done it’s time to assemble the salad. Add all your herb leaves and watercress  to a large bowl, toss with ¼ to ½ cup nouc cham sauce, top with wonton chips. Serve with the chicken and rice.

To make the nouc cham sauce

This recipe makes 2 quarts, so you’ll be able to use this again and again. Chef says it only gets better over time as the flavors continue to meld and develop.

1 cup fish sauce

1 cup palm sugar

½ cup sugar

4 cups water

12 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

12 Thai chilies, thinly sliced

2 cups lime juice

Add all ingredients except the lime juice to a small saucepot and simmer until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens a bit. Build an ice bath - in a large bowl add a bunch of ice, and nestle a smaller bowl in the middle. Add the lime juice to the pot, give it a quick stir, and then immediately pour it into the small bowl waiting in the ice bath. This wil keep the sauce from becoming bitter while keeping it sour. Let cool, then use what you need to dress your help salad and store the rest in an airtight container in the fridge. Keeps about a month.