Golden chicken with rice noodles & crispy shallots

Name: Golden chicken with rice noodles & crispy shallots
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 400 ml coconut milk; 2 tsp ground turmeric; 15 g piece ginger finely grated; 2 large garlic cloves finely grated; 1 2 limes 1 zested and juiced; ½ large red chilli frozen and finely grated; 2 tbsp light brown soft sugar; 2 tsp fish sauce; 1 6 boneless and skinless chicken thighs; 1 vegetable oil for frying; 1 4 shallots finely sliced into rings; 180 g wide rice noodles; 1 2 carrots cut into matchsticks; 1 6 baby cucumbers sliced or ½ a cucumber; 1 small bunch mint leaves picked; 1 small bunch thai basil leaves picked; 100 g salted peanuts roughly chopped

Prep: 25 minsCook: 30 mins

Prep

25 mins

Cook

30 mins

Servings

Difficulty

Medium

Dairy-FreeEgg-Free

(0)

This golden chicken with rice noodles and crispy shallots is one of my go to weeknight dinners because it comes together in under an hour and tastes like you've spent way more effort than you actually have. The coconut milk base gets infused with warm turmeric, which is brilliant for reducing inflammation, while ginger and garlic add serious depth of flavor without any fuss. Everything cooks in one pot before you serve it over soft noodles and load up with fresh herbs, crunchy shallots, and a scattering of peanuts. It's the kind of dish that feels fancy enough for guests but simple enough that you'll want to make it again and again.

Ella x

Ingredients

Servings:

400 mlcoconut milk(whisk well to combine the cream and water, if it has separated in the can)
2 tspground turmeric
15 gpiece ginger finely grated
2 largegarlic cloves finely grated
12 limes 1 zested and juiced(1 cut into wedges to serve)
½ largered chilli frozen and finely grated(see tip below)
2 tbsplight brown soft sugar
2 tspfish sauce
16 boneless and skinless chicken thighs
1vegetable oil for frying
14 shallots finely sliced into rings
180 gwide rice noodles(4 nests)
12 carrots cut into matchsticks
16 baby cucumbers sliced or ½ a cucumber(halved lengthways and sliced)
1 smallbunch mint leaves picked
1 smallbunch thai basil leaves picked
100 gsalted peanuts roughly chopped

Detail level

Instructions

1
In a large bowl, combine the coconut milk, turmeric, ginger, garlic, lime zest and juice, chilli, sugar, fish sauce and 1 tsp salt. Add the chicken thighs, stirring to coat, then put in the fridge to marinate overnight. Will keep covered and chilled for up to two days.
2
Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Transfer the chicken to a large roasting tin with high sides. Roast for 30 mins, spooning the sauce over the chicken a few times during cooking, until the chicken is cooked through and a little charred, and the sauce has reduced. At the end, if the chicken needs more colour, grill it for a few minutes, if you like.
3
While the chicken cooks, heat enough vegetable oil to cover the base of a large, deep frying pan, separate the shallot rings and cook in a single layer for 6-8 mins, or until golden brown (you may have to do this in batches). Drain on kitchen paper and season generously with salt.
4
Cook the noodles following pack instructions (or bring a pan of water to the boil, add the noodles, take off the heat and leave for 5 mins, then drain and rinse with cold water).
5
Remove the chicken from the tin and slice into chunks. Toss the drained noodles through the sauce in the roasting tin. Top with the chicken, veg, crispy shallots, herbs and peanuts. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.

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