Thai Chicken With A Twist: Oven Baked

Photo courtesy of A Little Yumminess

I LOVE Thai Food! Especially Pad Thai, Chinatown had an excellent Thai restaurant called Pongsri

at 106 Bayard/Baxter Streets. Right on the corner and across the street of a park.

This recipe is a Thai twist on the Tandoori chicken theme, an oven-baked dish that's easy enough to pull off even on a busy weeknight. It can be part of a rice, grain or noodle bowl, served atop a salad or even as a fusion taco filling, with fresh cabbage and a homemade pico de gallo. Throwing a party? Serve it as a satay with sweet chile or peanut sauce. Or go simple with a side of roasted sweet potatoes and steamed broccoli or spinach.

We prefer to use chicken thighs in this recipe, as they stay juicer, but chicken breasts are fine, too. Cutting the meat into cubes (or asking your butcher to do it) reduces the roasting time and results in more even cooking, but you can grill whole chicken thighs if you prefer. Either way, marinate the chicken the night before and this dish will come together in a flash

One last tip: The spice mix keeps so well, we usually make a triple or quadruple batch so we always have some on hand.

BAKED THAI COCONUT CHICKEN

Serves 4

THAI CURRY POWDER:

1 tablespoon ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground fennel seeds

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

CHICKEN:

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

1 cup coconut milk

2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Chopped cilantro and lime wedges to garnish

Directions:

1. Combine the Thai curry spices in a small bowl. (If you make it ahead, store it in an airtight container.)

2. Combine the coconut milk, grated ginger, salt and Thai curry powder in a zip-close bag or other container, mixing well to combine ingredients. Add cubed chicken and toss in marinade to coat well. Marinate chicken for at least 20 minutes, or overnight in the refrigerator.

3. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.

4. Shake off excess marinade before placing chicken in a single layer on the prepared pan. Bake chicken for 30 to 35 minutes, turning chicken after 15 minutes.

5. Turn broiler to high and broil chicken for 3 to 5 minutes, until chicken is lightly browned.

6. Sprinkle chicken with chopped cilantro and serve with lime wedges on the side.