Chicken Stew with Satay Sauce & Rice Recipe

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs & 4 chicken drumsticks
2 red onions
1 red pepper
3 carrots
2 garlic cloves
A thumb of ginger
40g peanut butter
40g honey
400ml coconut milk
50g tamari
300g white basmati rice
1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
800ml - 1ltr boiling water
2 tbsp cold water (optional)

Tip: If you want to thicken the sauce, lift out the chicken and as much veg as possible. Keep them covered on a plate or in a dish to keep them warm. Pour the sauce into a pan and bring up to a gentle bubble. Keep cooking till your sauce is as reduced as much as you like.

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Method

1. Place a large frying pan (or casserole pan if you are cooking the satay chicken on the hob) on a medium heat for a few mins. When warm, add 1 tbsp oil and add the chicken thighs to the pan. Fry for 5 mins on each side till golden. Transfer to a bowl. Add another 1 tbsp oil and fry the drumsticks for 5 mins on each side till golden. Add to the bowl with the thighs.

2. While the thighs and drumsticks are browning, peel and thinly slice the red onions. Halve the pepper and remove the seeds and white pith. Chop the pepper into bite-sized pieces. Trim and peel the carrots and chop into 2cm-thick slices. Peel the garlic and ginger and finely grate them. From this point, follow the method for cooking the chicken in the slow cooker or on the hob.

3. In the slow cooker: Place the browned thighs and drumsticks into a 3½ ltr slow cooker. Add the prepped veg, ginger and garlic. Add the peanut butter, honey, coconut milk and half the tamari. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir well to coat the chicken and veg. Add 200ml boiling water and pop on a lid. Set the slow cooker to medium and cook for 6-7 hrs. For a faster stew, set the slow cooker to high and cook for 5-6 hrs, or set to low and cook for 8-10 hrs.

4. When the chicken has 20 mins left to cook, prepare the rice. Rinse the rice under cold water. Tip it into a pan. Add 600ml boiling water and a pinch of salt. Cover. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat right down. Very gently simmer over a low heat for 8-10 mins till the water has been absorbed. Take off the heat and set aside, lid on, for 5 mins to finish cooking the rice.

5. Zest and juice the lemon. Add half the lemon zest and juice to the chicken then taste the sauce and add more tamari, lemon or salt and pepper if you think it needs it. Divide the rice between 4 warm shallow bowls or plates. Top with the chicken and rich sauce (see our tip for thickening the sauce if you’d like to) and serve.

6. On the hob: Pop the chicken on a plate. Add the onions and pepper with 2 tbsp water and cook for 5 mins till softened. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a further 1 min. Tip in the carrots and stir. Add the peanut butter, honey and coconut milk. Add half the tamari. Pour in 400ml boiling water and bring to a simmer.

7. Carefully lower in the browned chicken drumsticks and thighs. Pop a lid on your pan and cook for 45 mins till the chicken is tender and cooked through, stirring once or twice. The sauce should have thickened slightly. If it’s looking too dry, add a splash or 2 of water.

8. When the chicken has 20 mins left to cook, prepare the rice. Rinse the rice under cold water. Tip it into a pan. Add 600ml boiling water and a pinch of salt. Cover. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat right down. Very gently simmer over a low heat for 8-10 mins till the water has been absorbed. Take off the heat and set aside, lid on, for 5 mins to finish cooking.

9. Zest and juice the lemon. Add half the lemon zest and juice to the chicken then taste the sauce and add more tamari, lemon or salt and pepper if you think it needs it. Divide the rice between 4 warm shallow bowls or plates. Top with the chicken and sauce to serve.