Laksa Chicken Drumsticks with Coconut and Peanuts

, from Issue #25. September, 2015
Photography by Aaron McLean.
Laksa Chicken Drumsticks with Coconut and Peanuts

This dish uses ready-made laksa paste in a slightly unconventional but delicious way.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

10 chicken drumsticks
3 tablespoons laksa paste, we used Asian Home Gourmet
1⁄2 cup coconut cream
1⁄4 cup roasted peanuts
3 tablespoons lime juice
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1⁄4 cup water

To serve
2 spring onions, finely sliced
lime wedges to garnish

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180 ̊C.

Put the laksa paste, coconut cream, peanuts and lime juice in a food processor and blend until the peanuts are well chopped but still have some texture.

Slash the drumsticks twice, through the thickest part of the meat. Place in a baking dish, cut side up.

Tip the paste over the chicken, spooning some of it into the cuts of the chicken. Season.

Pour the water into the base of the pan but not over the chicken.

Roast for 45-50 minutes, spooning the pan juices over the chicken 2-3 times during cooking. Keep adding a little more water to the pan as the sauce thickens so the drums don’t catch and burn.

To serve: Arrange on a platter and scatter with the spring onions. Garnish with lime wedges and serve with Fragrant Basmati Rice and Spiced Yoghurt, Chickpea and Carrot Raita

The chicken can be marinated 24 hours ahead of cooking. Cover and refrigerate. Remove from the fridge 1 hour before cooking. Season and add the water when ready to cook.