I love the clean fresh flavours of Vietnamese food, and this
recipe is especially good as it can all be done in one pot. You will need a
2.5l casserole – ideally one that can go on the stove top but use a frying pan for the first part, otherwise.
8 dried mushrooms
1tbsp coriander seeds
8 chicken thighs
1tbsp oil
400g long grain rice
2 onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1tsp turmeric
700ml chicken stock
2tbsp fish sauce
3tbs chopped coriander leaves for sprinkling at the end
Start by pouring water over the mushrooms and let them stand
for 20 minutes. Drain and chop them. I’m saving a small ladleful of the soaking
water to add a little depth to the stock. We’re using Shitake mushrooms, as
they were the best I could get. I ignore the uual instructions to discard the
stalks, but slice them thinly.
Give the coriander seeds a quick bash in a pestle and
mortar. Our chicken thighs still have the skin on, so this needs to be removed –
the boy’s cat gets one of them. Heat half the oil and brown the chicken in
batches. Ours are bone in by the way as
it will add to the flavour. Drain on kitchen paper. The boy loves chicken and
has come sniffing around the kitchen. Too bad for him that he has to wait about
an hour.
Heat up the remaining oil and gently fry the onions, garlic,
coriander seeds and turmeric. This needs to be slow so nothing burns. I always
add the garlic after the onions have had a couple of minutes as the onion steam
slows things down a bit.
Put everything, including the rice and fish sauce, into the
casserole. This is one of those few occasions when I recommend American long
grain rice rather than Basmati – its delicate flavour would be lost here. The
chicken goes on top of the rice mix. Pour in the stock and saved mushroom water.
Season with salt and pepper.
Cook for 45 minutes at about 200/Gas 5, but just check that
the rice is done. Sprinkle the coriander
leaves on top.
The boy seems as pleased with how little washing up is
needed as he is with the dish.
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