Cardamon Chicken & Lemon & Coconut Delicious Pudding

Main: Spiced Coconut & Cardomon Chicken with Glazed Pumpkin
A Country Cookbook by Belinda Jeffery – Page 176

Dessert: Lemon & Coconut Delicious Pudding with cream
Delicious Daily – Page 207

Well, what a reception this meal got!! 10/10 for the chicken and 9/10 for the pud. Now, it says feeds four, however I just added extra thigh cutlets and it worked great.

There is a little bit of prep for this to taste fab because you must marinate the chook the day before but then the actual cooking is no biggy – so go to the effort. It is (as the book says) not necessarily an attractive looking dish on the plate but I guess that gives it that sort of homely mushy appeal. (The look on MAV’s face when he saw it was priceless). There is a real moroccan taste and smell to it with a sweetness from the pumpkin. I served it with a little rice and a simple capresi salad, which was light and fresh with the stronger flavours of the chook.

Dessert I thought was going to be a disaster because I accidentally mixed in the flour with the butter and sugar which should have been beaten first but I thought what the hell I am not starting again. Anyway, it was great and fluffy and light, so go figure!

All in all a great meal! Enjoy!

From my table to yours with love.

Spiced Coconut & Cardamom Chicken with Glazed Pumpkin

The time does not include marinating overnight. Wear kitchen gloves to prepare marinade as your hands will go yellow.

2 large Garlic cloves (finely chopped)
2 heaped tsp Cumin seeds (ground)
2 heaped tsp Coriander seeds (ground)
1 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds (ground)
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
3-4 Cardamon pods – use only the seeds (ground)
1 1/2 tbsp Ginger (finely chopped)
3 tsp Curry paste (Pataks Tikka Masala)
Sea salt flakes
8 Small chicken chops (partly boned leg and thigh portions or skin-on thighs)
1.2 kg Butternut pumplin ( peeled cut into 2.5 cm chunks)
1 Lemon
1 400g Can diced or crushed tomatoes
2 1/2 tbsp Brown sugar
2 tbsp Sun-dried tomato pesto
140 ml Light coconut cream
1 Cinnamon stick (snapped in half)
Lemon or line juice to taste, coriander sprigs to garnish

* In a large bowl stir together the garlic, cumin, coriander, fennel, cayenne, cardamom, ginger, curry paste and a little salt. You will need to squash the curry paste in a bit with the back of a spoon so it’s thoroughly mixed with everything else. Add the chicken, one piece at a time, and rub all over with the spice mixture so it is well coated.

* As they are done, put the chicken pieces into a large snap-lock bag. Once you have finished coating them all, seal the bag and squish it around in your hands a bit. Now pop the bag into a container, seal it tightly and put it in the fridge for at least a few hours but overnight is better. Every so often, when you remember, take the bag out and squish it again.

* When you’re ready to cook the chicken, preheat your oven to 180º c

* Scatter the pumpkin pieces over the bottom of a large roasting tin (36 cm x 26 cm) in a single layer. Nestle the chicken in amongst the pumpkin chunks as best you can.

* Peel the lemon, making sure you remove all the white pith. Cut the flesh into little chunks, removing any seeds as you go. Tip the chunks into a bowl and thoroughly mix in the tomatoes, sugar, pesto, coconut cream and cinnamon. Scrape this mix over the chicken and pumpkin . Now use your hands to thoroughly coat the chicken and pumpkin pieces in the coconut mixture. Make sure chicken is skin-side up.

* Pop the tin in the oven and bake the chicken, uncovered for about 1-1 1/4 hours carefully turning everything around after 40 minutes. When the chicken is ready transfer it to a plat, then sit it in a warm spot and tent it loosely with foil to keep it warm, Increase the oven temp to 210ºc and return the pumpkin to the oven. Cook it for another 20 mins or so until the edges of the chunks are crisp and sauce around them is thick.

* Take the pumpkin out of the oven. There may be a thin film of oil from the coconut cream on the sauce – if there is just blot it up with paper towels. Taste the sauce and add more salt or lemon/lime if needed.

* To serve, put a little mound of pumpkin and sauce on each plate, then prop the chicken alongside it. Serve with lemon or lime wedges and garnish with coriander if you like

Lemon & Coconut Delicious Puddings

When this pudding is made in one dish rather than 4 little dishes it will serve 6

80 g Unsalted butter (chopped, softened)
1 c Castor sugar
4 Eggs (separated)
2 Lemons (zest and juice)
2/3 c Self-raising flour
1 c Coconut milk
Icing sugar and double cream to serve

* Preheat the oven to 160ºc. Grease 4 x 300ml baking dishes or a 1.2L baking dish. Place butter, 150g sugar and egg yolks in a bowl and whisk for 5 minutes or until thick and pale.

* Add lemon zest and juice and whisk to combine (the mixture will appear curdled). Fold in flour and coconut milk in 2 alternate batches until completely combined.

* In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt and remaining 70g sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold one-quarter egg white mixture into the lemon batter to loosen, then fold in remaining egg white mixture. Divide among prepared dishes, then arrange dishes in a large roasting pan. Pour enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the dishes. Bake for 25-30 minutes for individual puddings or 45 minutes for 1 pudding, or until risen and just firm to touch.

* Dust puddings with icing sugar and serve with cream.

Cardamon Chicken & Lemon & Coconut Delicious Pudding