Thai Casserole Chicken With Peas and Browned Potatoes

Make this ahead of time and refrigerate before you need to serve it - the flavour will only improve! FAT REDUCING TIP: Mix together one 400ml can lite coconut milk and one 400ml regular fat coconut milk. This will greatly reduce the fat content without sacrificing the rich coconut flavour. Use one canful of this mixture for this recipe and freeze the rest for later use. Caramelizing the chicken, potatoes and onions gives a wonderful flavour to this curry so don't be tempted to skip these steps!

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons  peanut oil, you'll need 3 half tablespoons separately
• 8  boneless skinless chicken thighs, all visible fat removed
• 2  medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice, pat with paper towel to make sure they are dry or they will not b
• 1  medium onion, quartered and sliced
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  tablespoon green curry paste, Thai Kitchen brand is recommended
• 1⁄2 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1  tablespoon fresh ginger, grated, can be substituted with bottled ginger
• 1  tablespoon lime juice
• 1  tablespoon fish sauce
• 200  ml light coconut milk, see fat reducing tip in comments above, mixed with:
• 200  ml coconut milk, regular fat
• 1  tablespoon dried cilantro, or 2 tablespoons fresh
• 1  cup  frozen peas, to be added at the end of cooking

Directions

1. On medium high, heat 1/2 taplespoon oil in a non stick fry pan - a stove top wok works really well for this - and quickly brown (don't overcook) chicken thighs until golden and caramelized. Remove them to a sprayed casserole (with lid).
2. In the same pan heat another 1/2 tablespoon oil and brown the diced potatoes until golden and caramelized - they do not have to be cooked through the important thing is that they are nicely browned. Add them to the casserole.
3. Again - in the same pan - heat the remaining one half tablespoon of oil and caramelize the onion and garlic.
4. Lower the heat and add the curry paste, brown sugar, ginger, lime juice and fish sauce.
5. Stir in the coconut milk and cilantro.
6. Pour over the chicken and potatoes, cover with the lid and bake in a 300 degree F preheated oven for one hour. Check and stir after first 30 minutes.
7. Remove casserole from oven and stir in the frozen peas - do not cook further, the peas will be nice and tender crisp.
8. Cool to room temperature and serve on basmati rice the next day.