Island Chicken With Mango

Submitted by Zurie

"A simple chicken dish with a mélange of tropical island flavours ... Please read my instructions, as the Zaar software can be VERY strict with me and doesn't always accept my descriptions the first time round!"

 

• Ready In: 1hr 15mins
• Ingredients: 20
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 6 chicken breasts, deboned but skin on
• flour, for preparation of breasts
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, ditto
• 1 yellow bell pepper, ditto
• 1 red chili pepper, hot, seeded and chopped
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup coconut, dessicated, unsweetened*
• oil (for frying)
• salt
• 100 ml rum, amber, good quality
• 120 ml fresh cream
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped and mashed
• 2 limes, grated rind of or 1 lemon, finely grated rind of
• 3⁄4 cup raisins, plump, preferably seedless
• 2 mangoes, ripe, peeled, cut into small chunks
• 1 cup white rice
• 2 1⁄2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt

directions

1. *If the sweetened type is all you can find, use that as it will improve rather than spoil the dish.
2. Please note that I meant the RIND of either 2 limes or 1 lemon. The Zaar robot hits me over the head if I say "Finely grated rind of -- ".
3. Prepare all your ingredients and have it at hand, then it's such an easy dish.
4. Put the rice on to cook with the water and salt.
5. Prepare the onions and peppers. Heat a generous film of oil in a roomy pot. You could use a large pan, but using a pot is easier with this kind of recipe.
6. Add the prepared onions and peppers all at once, stir well, keep heat medium, and fry until soft, stirring often. If it threatens to catch, add a dash of water. You could also use lower heat, put on the lid, and leave it to get on by itself while you prepare the chicken.
7. Flour a chopping board lightly. Using a meat mallet, pound the breasts a little thinner, skin and all. Turn, use a little more flour on the skin, and repeat the abuse.
8. When the onions and peppers are soft, remove from pot with a slotted spoon and keep warm in a bowl in a low oven.
9. Add more oil to the pot if necessary, and heat up a little.
10. Cut each chicken breast, across, in three pieces. Dip each into the beaten egg, then roll in the coconut. (Use more coconut if needed). Fry the chicken over medium heat, stirring and turning every now and then. It doesn't matter if the coconut comes off, but don't let it burn. Rather add a dash of water. Cook until chicken is done, 15 - 20 minutes.
11. Add salt while the chicken is frying.
12. Turn heat down, and add the garlic, rum, cream, lime or lemon rind, and the raisins. Stir through gently.
13. Add the prepared peppers and onions. Do not let it boil actively, just bring to a simmer, then add the mango pieces and stir through again. Simmer very gently for a minute or two.
14. Taste for seasoning: it will almost definitely need more salt.
15. It improves on standing in a warming oven.
16. Serve with the cooked rice.

Reviews

[Brooksie]

WoW what a MOuthgazim! So many wonderful flavors that jump out yet blend. My husband just about licked the plate. I cut the rec in half for 2 of us and used the rum and cream for a complete rec. this is a 10 star meal will be a much used keeper. thanks!

 

[TOOLBELT DIVA]

Well, ZEE, your chicken recipe is definitely top drawer. A well thought out recipe cleverly combining ingredients to marry sweet and savoury; good and delicious; more and all gone. Thank you ZEE, for stepping up to the plate and hitting a home run for the team. Five thumbs up for you, and another five for your creation...

 

[Trisha W]

My family enjoyed this recipe. It was quite tasty. The hot pepper really got to my eyes and throat in the preparation stage - but was not too hot in the eating stage. I cut the recipe in half as there were only 3 of us eating. I loved the sweetness the coconut gave to this dish. Thanks for a nice creative dish.

 

[Chef Kate]

Excellent dish! And the chicken once sauteed in its coating of coconut is delicious to eat just that way. But the dish combined is lovely -- a very nice combination of salt/spice and sweet flavors, crispy and soft textures. A very creative use of contest ingredients.

 

[tigerduck]

WOW! EXCELLENT! GREAT! This is such a flavourful and colourful dish! I wouldn't call it 'simple' as described in the recipe intro, but it certainly evoked images of the Caribbean in me! I really loved the amber rum in here and hope that this recipe will make it into the finals! This is the fitfh contest recipe I've made and it's by far the best. The only criticism I have is that the rice is IMHO not enough for 4 people and I prefer less water to cook it in. I also think that one chicken breast per person would be enough, but there are of course people who just eat an enormous amount of meat. However, the flavour of this dish is just FANTASTIC, and I would certainly consider cooking this again. As this is by far the best of the contest recipes I've tried, it does deserve 5 stars, even though I really recommend cooking 1.5-2 cups of rice for 4 people. Thank you so much for creating this recipe and good luck in the contest!