Mojito Chicken With Plantain Fried Rice

Sharon123's Note:

Submitted by Diane Sparrow, Osage, IA, a 2009 Finalist in the National Chicken Cooking contest put on by the National Chicken Council, representing the West North Central region. Yum!

• Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice , plus 1/4 cup divided
• 2 teaspoons lime zest
• 3 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 jalapeno , seeded and finely minced
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• ¾-1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (with the broth to equal 2 cups)
• 1 -1 ¼ cup chicken broth (with the milk to equal 2 cups)
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup jasmine rice
• 2 tablespoons jerk seasoning
• 4 tablespoons cooking oil , divided
• 2 medium ripe plantains
• 1 bunch green onion , chopped
• 1 cup chopped fresh pineapple
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• ¼ cup chopped fresh mint

Lime-Coconut Sauce

• ¾ cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar , 1 tablespoon grated lime zest
• 2 tablespoons dark rum
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Garnishes

• lime slice
• mint sprig
• toasted coconut
• 1 small redThai peppers or 1 small other hot red pepper

Directions:

1. In large sealable plastic bag, place olive oil, 3 tablespoons lime juice, lime zest, garlic, jalapeno and ginger. Add chicken and marinate in refrigerator at least 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in medium saucepan over medium high heat, place coconut milk and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and add remaining 1/4 cup lime juice and salt. Stir in rice, cover, reduce heat and cook 30-50 minutes, until done.(You might start with the lowest amount of liquids, cooking time varies).
3. Remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken on both sides with jerk seasoning and place on broiler pan. Place under hot broiler about 8 inches from heat.
4. Cook about 8 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
5. While chicken cooks, in medium skillet over medium high heat, place 2 tablespoons of the cooking oil. Peel plantains and cut in 1/2 inch thick slices. Fry in hot oil about 1-1/2 minutes per side, pushing down with back of spatula to flatten. When browned, remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Cut each slice into quarters, leaving a few whole for garnish.
6. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in skillet. Add green onions and cook until soft. Stir in cooked rice, pineapple and soy sauce. Add chopped mint and cut plantains.
7. Place rice and chicken on serving dish, top with reserved fried plantains. Pour some of the Lime-Coconut Sauce over top and pass remainder in a small bowl. Garnish with lime slices, toasted coconut, red peppers, and mint sprigs. Enjoy!
8. Lime-Coconut Sauce: In small saucepan, place unsweetened coconut milk, brown sugar, grated lime zest, dark rum, fresh lime juice and kosher salt. Place over medium high heat and stir until hot.

Reviews

[firefly68]

Just wanted to comment on DOC Jan's comment about the rice being mushy. The ingredients list is a little tricky to follow in this part, but I believe you are supposed to use 3/4 to 1 C coconut milk and 1 to 1.25 C broth--2C total depending on your taste. Coconut milk is thick; I make a similar rice dish and always find the proportion of water to be a bit tricky. Also when it's done it doesn't look done because there is coconut oil on the top. I tilt the pan and if only a tiny bit of water shows I turn off the heat and let it sit on the burner, covered, for 15 minutes or so. It can sit for an hour and still be hot. I will be trying this recipe soon, sounds fantastic!

[DOC Jan]

This dish was fantastic! My only challenge was the rice. Normally rice is 2/1 water to rice. This recipe was 2.5/1 and it took forever to cook and then came out mushy but delicious. The chicken was flavorful (I made my own jerk) and the overall combination of flavors and textures was very satisfying. Next time I will thicken the Lime Coconut sauce.