This pot roasted coconut chicken is stunning – but simple to make with so few ingredients. This is the kind of food I really love to make. And it just happens to be good for you!! It’s a recipe from the “Feel Good Food” cookbook by Valli Little, an icon in the Australian food industry, chef, cookbook author, and magazine editor.
It’s not every day that you get to meet a legend in the Australian cooking industry. Well, for me, it’s never. I live an ordinary life without sparkle and glamour. So when I was asked if I would be interested in checking out Valli Little’s new cookbook and not only that, if I would like to meet her….well! Let me tell you, it was like Christmas came early!!
I have to admit, I was a bit nervous. Valli graciously invited me to meet at her house and from the moment I stepped into her house, it was like meeting an old friend. You know how some people have the ability to put people at ease and make them feel welcome instantly? Valli Little has that. The thing that struck me so much about her was how humble and ordinary she is. With a streak of cheeky. She’s just like you and I, your neighbour, your friend, your mum, your work colleague.
Oh wait. She just happens to be one of the most well known professionals in the Australian food industry. Food Director of Delicious magazine, author of the Delicious series of cookbooks, professionally trained at Le Cordon Bleu in London, widely travelled. I see her recipes everywhere!
There’s something else that really struck me about Valli. Her passion for food. (Knowledge goes without saying). She really loves what she does. I mean really. You hear about how people’s eyes sparkle when they talk about something they are passionate about. And that’s what I saw when Valli and I chatted casually about her background, family, what it’s like to write cookbooks, her apparently not-so-schmancy life in the magazine world (she really burst my bubble there), and of course food.
When I am with my family, we are usually eating, cooking, planning our next meal, talking or arguing about food. Remove the arguing part, and my morning with Valli was like spending it with my family. It was that comfortable and I was right in my zone, chatting about what I love!
I was pretty intrigued to hear more about her latest cookbook, Feel Good Food. Firstly, Valli is most certainly not a trendy-health food chef. Just like me, she pooh-poohs food trends for the sake of it – think paleo, kale, chia seeds etc.
So I knew there was a backstory to this cookbook which – in all honesty – if you ignore the title you would not actually think is a “healthy” cookbook. Actually, it’s not – she is very quick to point that out. As she says in her words, it is just about being more aware of what you put into your body. For Valli, it was a health scare last year when she was diagnosed with bowel cancer. We didn’t chat about that – I forgot to ask her publisher if that was off bounds – but I did know about it.
She talked about her treatments and the scare it gave her and her family. It was the instigator for this cookbook which is just about being more careful about what you cook with to make it better for you, without running out to buy all sorts of fancy, expensive sugar substitutes and ingredients that I can’t even pronounce.
There are so many recipes from her cookbook that I wanted to share but I could only pick one. I’m going to ask Valli if I can share another one because there are a few more that I really, really love.
I think she’d be surprised to know how many of the recipes I’ve already made. But this pot roasted chicken is a stand out. About as far as it can be from the traditional pot roasted chicken, it’s modern, fresh tasting with an Asian spin with stellar flavours and it’s clean. That’s the part I keep forgetting – this is a clean recipe!
PS If you are already thinking that stuffing the herb mixture under the skin is too hard, don’t! I have a nifty tip to make it super easy – refer to the step by step photos in the recipe below. It will honestly take you 2 minutes. And you won’t tear the skin!! 😉
The broth is sensational, it really is. I made this chicken 4 times in 3 days just before I left for Mexico and I was drinking the broth out of a cup. The base is coconut milk which is lightened up with chicken broth/stock and it has the delicate earthy fragrance of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves (I’ve provided subs for this!), freshness from lime, a touch of sweet and salty. When I first read the recipe, I thought “the flavours won’t be punchy enough for me”, but boy was I wrong!
You know, I was actually going to interview Valli properly, and I’m sorry if that’s what you were hoping for. I had a list of the usual questions – how she got started, what it’s like to write a cookbook, etc etc.
But all that went out the window when we started chatting because a) I didn’t want to stick my iPhone between us to record our conversation (talk about a mood killer!) b) to me, it was so much more meaningful to just “get to know her” and be able to share my experience with you than typing out answers to interview questions.
I only asked her one (very important) question that I jotted down the answer to.
If you had to go to deserted island for the rest of your life, what 3 foods would you take?
Here’s Valli’s answer:
Raspberries, oysters and french champagne
Just in case you are curious, here is my answer:
Fresh homemade bread and butter*, cheese** and french champagne
* Every time I play this game, people try to tell me that bread and butter and 2 separate food items. However, I say it really fast and it’s my game so I deem that they are one food item.
** This is all the cheeses in the world. Every single type.
Who wants to come live on a deserted island with Valli and me? It will be a parteeeeee!!!! 😉 – Nagi x
PS Ugh. Seriously. This coconut broth. It is a ripper. Absolutely sensational. You will want to drink it out of a cup too.
If you love coconut milk sauces, you’ll love these!
-
An amazing easy Thai Coconut Noodle Soup
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Pot Roasted Coconut Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 long red chilies (Note 1)
- 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
- 2 garlic cloves , crushed
- 1 tbsp coconut oil (or substitute with olive oil)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Black pepper
- 1 cup finely chopped cilantro/coriander leaves
- 3 lb /1.6kg whole chicken , preferably organic/free range
- 2 cups / 500 ml chicken broth/stock (preferably reduced salt)
- 1 lemongrass , white part only, bruised (Note 2)
- 2 kaffir lime leaves (Note 3)
- 14 oz /400ml light coconut milk (1 can)
- 0.8 lb / 400g baby potatoes , scrubbed clean
- 1 lime
- 2 tsp coconut sugar (or substitute with brown sugar)
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 390F/200C.
- Finely mince ONE red chili (~1 tbsp). Combine chili, ginger, garlic, oil, 1/2 cup cilantro/coriander, salt and pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
- Rinse and pat the chicken dry (inside and out) with paper towels. Starting from the neck end of the chicken, use a teaspoon upside down to loosen the skin from the meat across the surface of the chicken (i.e. not the legs or wings). Just go as far as you can.
- Spoon the cilantro/mixture between the meat and the skin near neck. Use the spoon to spread it a bit, then to finish it off, use your finger/hands ON the skin to spread the mixture as far and evenly as you can. Doesn't need to be perfect! 🙂
- Place the chicken stock/broth, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass and the whole red chili into a dutch oven or baking tray. (Note 4)
- Place the chicken in the broth, cover with a lid and roast for 45 minutes. Remove the lid, add the coconut milk and potatoes then roast for a further 30 minutes, or until juices run clear when pierced.
- Remove the chicken from the broth and cover loosely with foil to rest for 5 minutes.
- Skim excess fat off the surface of the broth - I usually get about 5 tbsp of fat off.
- Add the juice from the lime, sugar and fish sauce. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add remaining cilantro/coriander.
- Serve the chicken with the broth in a pouring jug, or cut up the chicken and serve it in the broth.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings with 5 tbsp of fat scooped off the surface of the broth after cooking.
PS This is a post sponsored by Harper Collins, the publisher of Feel Good Food. I feel incredibly blessed that I get to work for and meet such talented people as my job!
PPS The book is available online from Angus & Robertson, Booktopia, Boomerang Books, in department stores and book shops. Christmas gift idea! 🙂
PPPS I mentioned that I made this 4 times in 3 days, and that’s because whenever I share a recipe on my blog that is not my own and/or I have not made before, I want to be sure it works and also so I can explain some of the trickier/”risk” areas better in the recipe.
The downside of rushing to make this so many times before I left to go overseas is that I made mounds and mounds of chicken that I couldn’t consume myself. So I was handing it out to everyone I saw! And do you know what the homeless guy said to me when I delivered my last lot of food to him? He said “It’s a good thing you’re away for a month because I need to lose some weight!”.
Hmph! Apparently I’m making him fat! 😉
Delicious! I thickened half of the broth into a kind of gravy, that worked well.
WOO HOO! So glad you loved it! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know!
I really want to try this recipe- it looks amazing! The potatoes and chicken skin look browned and a little crispy in the photos. Is that how they come out?
It sure does! You take the lid off for the second part of the baking time which is when the skin crisps up!
This was superb. My Freezer must have eaten the chicken so I used Turkey shanks, they were fine
Had it with the potatoes the first night .
And wiith brown rice the next , the flavour was even more amazing the second time around .
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Miriam! Isn’t the flavour amazing?? Great to know this works so well with turkey shanks, thanks for the tip!!
I’ve made it yesterday. Delicious! Thanks!
Woo hoo! So glad you loved it!!!
Hi Nagi,
Thank you for the recipe! I just made this the other night and I have a couple of questions for you:
1. My chicken skin didn’t become golden brown like yours, in this case would you recommend removing the lid to my dutch oven and broiling for a few minutes?
2. I didn’t have light coconut milk when I was cooking, so I used full fat coconut milk instead. This made my broth a little greasy, and it wasn’t quite as light in color as yours it was a little browner. Do you think using light coconut milk would change the color?
Thanks again for the recipe,
Nate
Hi Nate! In the recipe, there is a step to remove the lid partway through cooking, did you do that? By doing that step I found the chicken become lovely golden brown 🙂 But if that still doesn’t work, then yes, a quick broil will solve that!
Regarding the broth, using full fat coconut milk is definitely too rich for this! I don’t exactly know what happened with the colour, but I could guess that the extra fat in your broth from the coconut caused more of the chicken juices to brown?? The other explanation could be the chicken broth you used. I just used ordinary store bought chicken stock / broth, and it’s a light brown colour.
Yum yum yum, this looks and sounds amazing. I fancied something spicy for the family tonight and this may well just be it. Love the way it’s cooked in a lovely big le creuset too, delish!
x
Thank you Katie! I do love my Chasseur (Chasseur, not le Creuset! Ever since I discovered it’s made in the same place in France but it’s 30% cheaper! And I love the colours they have 🙂 )
What a beautiful recipe. I’m stumped, though. Did you hire a hand model or use some other cool trick to get the step-by-step photos of the chicken:)
BA HA HA! Now you’re just being cruel. You know perfectly well those pudgy Baby Hands are mine!! 🙂
I made this last night – was very, very good! I couldn’t find the kaffir in my little town, so thank you for the substitution. It all came together so easily. The breast was very juicy & tender. My boyfriend loved it, too. I want to make a soup with the leftover broth & the remains of the carcass, so I’m thinking about what to do. I paired this with a roasted balsamic radicchio with pancetta & walnuts that I found in the latest Cooking Light magazine. Thanks for the recipe! I will be trying more.
YAY! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Oooh, I like the sound of that salad! Great pairing 🙂
I absolutely adore Valli’s recipes and cookbooks – this one looks like another winner. Great shots as always x
She’s wonderful, isn’t she? Legend in the industry!!
This Coconut Chicken looks awesome! This would be great for entertaining!
Thanks Sabrina! This sure is perfect for entertaining!!
Sounds like a lovely book with lots of great recipes! This chicken looks perfect and I would love to try it!
Thank you Mira! Can you believe it’s a clean recipe??
Oh, Nagi! You are amazing! This looks wonderful and amazing, I can almost taste the delicious sauce and those photos are making my mouth drool. What a fantastic opportunity with the author of this book, you have been blessed!
Thank you Pat! this recipe really is incredible, Valli Little is a legend!
What a great opportunity, how exciting! Plus, I LOVE whole chicken recipes. So flavorful, and this is no exception. Will definitely keep in mind to make this weekend!
It was very exciting for me!!! I do hope you try this, it really is incredible!!
Oh your meeting with Valli Little sounds wonderful Nagi! Her books and recipes are so beautiful, and I don’t blame you at all for not doing a ‘proper interview’ – sometimes you get so much more out of a casual chat. This recipe does look gorgeous (SO impressed that you made it 4 times in 3 days though!) – love how fragrantly coconutty it is, and how easy it is to put together as well. Hope you can share another of your favourites from her book if the rest are as lovely as this (which I am sure that they are!!). Hope your weekend went well xx
I’ll come to a deserted island with Valli and you.
What would I bring???? Depends whether you are sharing that bread and butter and worlds supply of cheese? Oh and the champagne??? I would bring potatoes, pasta and oranges.
I am assuming that this deserted island has chillies and garlic growing on it……otherwise I might pass 😉
This chicken looks lovely. As soon as I read the title I thought, I bet the broth would be great for lunch in a mug with some noodles. Can’t wait to try it!!!
And getting to meet Valli Little!!!! Wow. That is a life moment!!!
Can you imagine the riot we would have?? 🙂
Haha, we would!!!
Especially once we had popped a bottle of champers!
Hi Nagi, I have this roasting away in the oven and it smell divine. The mixture under the skin smells perfect even by itself. I have a question tho, you mention to use 1/2 cup coriander in the mixture but the ingredients state a whole cup. Do you stir the remaining 1/2 cup into the broth at the end of cooking? Thanks
Oh gosh, so sorry for the late response!!! 🙂 Yes, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup in just before serving. Thank you for the question, I’ll update the recipe!! N x
Please please please, can you hire me as your assistant? :-p
I can’t think of anyone else more deserving of all the accolades and fun stuff you have gotten to do recently – you are definitely reaping the rewards from all the hard work sown to date. Well done!
And this chicken looks sooooooooo good. I will have to sub out the coriander for parsley – stupid sensitivities. I will, however, add a little bit garlic, as you have suggested to another commenter. I am definitely going to give this a go – I’m keen to see how this compares to my “world famous Chicken In A Bag”!
I can’t afford an Aussie assistant!!! (Yet!!!) Chicken in a bag? Can I have the recipe pub-lease???? N x
Thanks Nagi, I ended up doing that and the whole dish was fantastic. Such a beautiful flavour and it was enjoyed by the whole family.
This book sounds interesting. Definitely packed with delicious recipes. The chicken looks so delicious. I am hungry already:)
Thank you Ilona!!! It really is delicious, Valli is a super star! 🙂
Oh my! This looks really delicious!!! And your pictures are stunning, like always. Thanks for sharing the recipe Nagi! 🙂
Thanks so much Micelle!!! You flatter me! 🙂
My husband is officially your fan! he wants me to cook it right now!
Then you MUST do your husband’s bidding!!! 😉