Monday Muse: Green Chicken Curry

The Monday Muse series returns with this sublime Fragrant Green Chicken Curry by Jamie Oliver. ❤

Three years ago, we travelled to Thailand. It was the first trip the boyfriend and I took; and an extremely special one. The sights and the scenes are etched in our minds. I can remember it all like it was yesterday! Every time I think back to that holiday, I find myself smiling, for words fail the incredible culture we experienced and the beauty we beheld! And almost instantly, I find myself aching; for the food. Oh the foooood! ❤

While reading The Naked Chef by Jamie Oliver, I arrived on a page with the recipe for this Fragrant Chicken Green Curry. Instantly, I was transported back to the streets of Bangkok and the Asiatique where we savoured the best Green Curry we’ve every had. I went on to read about how he created this recipe when asked to cook a Green Curry by his brother-in-law who had eaten something similar in Thailand. He wrote about how he searched for the authentic recipe; and because they all varied so much, he used them as a basis to create something new, more fragrant and bursting with the freshness of herbs!

This made me smile, because isn’t that what we all try to do with food; put our own twist on it? I like that he didn’t claim for his recipe to be anywhere close to the authentic Thai Green Curry. I appreciate that he didn’t make it seem like he is an expert on the subject and that straying from his recipe will simply not yield the results you’re looking for. I respect that he can admit that a Fragrant Green Chicken Curry is all this is (a super fragrant and green curry at that, might I add). 😉

This recipe serves 4. Here’s what you need:

Bone-in Chicken – 1 kg, curry cut
Coconut Milk – 400 ml
Light Brown Sugar – 3 tbsp
Yellow Bell Pepper – 1, cubed

For the Green Curry Paste:

Spring Onions – 6, washed and trimmed
Green Chillies – 4, deseeded and finely chopped
Garlic – 3 cloves
Ginger – 1 tbsp, minced
Coriander Seeds – 1 tbsp, pounded
Salt – to taste
Lemongrass – 2 stalks, finely chopped
Fresh Basil – a bunch, roughly torn
Fresh Coriander on the stalk – a bunch, chopped roughly
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 3 tbsp
Zest and Juice of 1 lime

Here’s how you make this Fragrant Green Chicken Curry:

Make the Curry Paste: Put all the ingredients for the Green Curry Paste in a mixer/grinder or food processor and whizz until the paste is smooth.
Marinate the Chicken: Use about 2 tablespoons of the curry paste to marinate the chicken. Cover and leave it aside for 30 minutes.
Fry the Chicken: Place a deep pan on medium-high heat. Drizzle a bit of olive oil. When the oil is hot, sear the chicken for 30 seconds on each side, then remove and set aside.
Make the Curry: Reduce the heat, and in the same pan, fry the remaining curry paste for about 10-12 minutes until aromatic and all the flavours infuse well together. Add the bell peppers and saute for 2 minutes, until semi-tender. Add the chicken back into the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Then add salt, coconut milk and the brown sugar. Mix well, cover and allow the curry to simmer for 10 minutes.
Once done, turn off the heat. Garnish the Fragrant Green Chicken Curry with basil and serve with steamed rice.

This curry is the stuff of dreams. It exudes the kind of aroma that has the power to put you at ease. Dig in, and that’s your one-way ticket to culinary heaven! It is the perfect amalgamation of lemongrass, green chillies and basil, elevated by the coriander, garlic, ginger and lime. The coconut milk melds right in, adding creamy lusciousness and a hint of sweetness. The salt and brown sugar come through, rounding off the heat and sweetness and making every singular flavour pronounced. And that flavour-packed, succulent chicken meat is the cherry on the icing!

This curry isn’t the quickest to make, considering having to make the curry paste from scratch. Also, it requires a lot of ingredients to have on hand. Maybe you’re not up to cooking such an elaborate recipe on a weeknight? That’s completely fine. But if you’re into treating yourself (and you should be!), I suggest cooking this Fragrant Green Chicken Curry over the weekend or when you’re having guests over. It is so worth all the effort. And I promise it will be a feast to remember! ❤

For regular updates on what’s happening in The Foodscape kitchen, follow me on Instagram at @thefoodscape! You’ll love all the deliciousness there, I promise! ❤