Martinique Coconut Chicken Curry
In this delicious and beautiful dish you get the full diversity of the Caribbean kitchen, encompassing such ingredients as papaya, aubergine, mango and even tamarind. This is a dish for a party! Make it as hot as you want by adding more chilli. In the Caribbean it would be served hot, hot, hot!
4 tbsp sunflower or groundnut oil salt and pepper 12 chicken pieces (a mixture of thighs and drumsticks) 2 onions, roughly chopped 500g (1lb 2oz) butternut squash, peeled and cut into 5cm (2in) cubes 2 aubergines, cut into 4cm (11⁄2in) cubes 2–3 large waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 4cm (1 1⁄2in) chunks 400ml can coconut milk 300ml (1⁄2 pint) chicken stock (see page 189) 1 tbsp tamarind paste 3 small bay leaves 1 large ripe mango, peeled and chopped into 5cm (2in) chunks 1 large ripe papaya, peeled and sliced juice of 1⁄2 lime 11⁄2 tbsp rum (optional) boiled rice, to serve
FOR THE SPICE MIX
1⁄4 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 1⁄2–1 hot red chilli (ideally Scotch bonnet), deseeded 1 tsp sea salt flakes
Pound everything for the spice mix into a paste in a mortar using a pestle.
Heat half the oil in a large flameproof casserole or heavy-based saucepan, season the chicken and brown on all sides. Remove and set aside. In the remaining oil, cook the onions, squash, aubergine and potato (if the pan isn’t big enough, cook the onion and aubergine first, then add the squash and potato once the other veg are starting to brown).When they are beginning to soften and brown, add the spice mix and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes to release the fragrance of the spices. Return the chicken to the casserole and add all the other ingredients except the mango, papaya, lime juice and rum. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer and cover.
Cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 40 minutes. Five minutes before serving, add the mango, papaya, lime juice and rum, if liked. Stir, cover and cook until the fruit is hot. Adjust the seasoning, and serve with boiled rice.
Serve the wings with the caramelized oranges and chargrilled chillies.
