Thai Roasted Chicken in Coconut Milk

I made this dish for my hubby for his lunches. I thought it was good when I tried it, but it was missing something. It’s like it needed some spicy hot chili sauce or something. We still can’t put our finger on it, so if you make it, let us know what you think!

Thai Roasted Chicken in Coconut Milk

(Adapted from Kevin is Cooking)

 

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5 1/2 lb whole chicken
2 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
2 cinnamon sticks broken
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves loosely packed
1 stalk lemon grass (See Note 1)
1 lemon zest only
12 cloves of garlic whole
2-13 oz cans coconut milk

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Completely rinse chicken under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.

2. Sprinkle the chicken all over with with kosher salt and black pepper.

3. Heat oil in a heavy based oven-proof pot (See Note 2) over medium high heat and brown the chicken all over. Be careful not to scorch the skin on bottom, you want to brown it. I constantly moved it around in the pot using tongs.

4. Carefully remove chicken and set aside on a plate. Pour the out the excess fat and set aside to roast vegetables or discard. With spoon, scrape up bits of cooked chicken on bottom of pan and leave in pan. Return chicken to the pot, add remaining ingredients and bake covered for 90 minutes.

5. Remove lid and baste chicken with juices. Leave uncovered and bake uncovered for 35 minutes.

6. Let stand for 10 minutes before removing the chicken. Remove and discard lemon grass and cinnamon stick from sauce. Serve chicken with the sauce on the side.

Instant Pot Method

Completely rinse chicken under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.

Sprinkle the chicken all over with with kosher salt and black pepper.

 Add trivet to Instant Pot. Place whole chicken on trivet and add the cinnamon sticks, sage leaves, lemon grass, lemon zest, garlic cloves and pour coconut milk over all.

Cover with lid and seal vent. Cook on Poultry or High Pressure setting for 6 minutes per pound. Allow pressure to naturally release for at least 10 minutes.

Carefully lift chicken out of Instant Pot using trivet handles and discard cinnamon sticks, sage leaves, lemon grass, lemon zest pieces. Strain cooking liquid and press cooked garlic through sieve. Add cooking liquid back to Instant Pot and press the Sauté setting. Cook for 10 minutes uncovered to reduce. Serve with shredded chicken.

***If you're looking for crispy skin it will not happen in the Instant Pot. BUT, you can with this simple step. Lift the chicken using the trivet handles from your Instant Pot and transfer to a lined baking sheet.

Brush with a little oil and place under broiler for 2-4 minutes, watching closely so as not to burn. Voila! Crispy skin in minutes.

Recipe Notes
1. For fresh lemon grass, trim and split lengthwise. If unavailable, use 2 tablespoons lemon grass paste found in most supermarket produce sections. Stir it in with the coconut milk before pouring over chicken.

2. I use a Le Creuset Dutch oven that is OK for stove top and the oven. If you don't have an oven-proof skillet or pan to brown the chicken in, be sure to transfer to a casserole dish or Dutch oven after browning the chicken large enough to hold the chicken and other ingredients for the oven to bake.

Note: As a general rule, the cooking time is 20 minutes per pound of meat plus an additional 15 minutes at 375ºF.

Chicken weights vary, and I used a 5 1/2 lb chicken.

Instant Pot Whole Chicken times (As a general rule, the cooking time for whole chickens: every pound add 6 minutes, for every half a pound add 3 minutes to total cooking time.
3 pound chicken: 18 minutes on high pressure
4 pound chicken: 24 minutes on high pressure
5 pound chicken: 30 minutes on high pressure
Allow pressure to naturally release for at least 10 minutes.