Green Curried Chicken

Comforting bowl of curried chicken, in an effort to avoid Carbs

My cook one thing this week, is inspired by Annie Bell - Low Carb Revolution - Comfort eating for good health......who knew there was such a thing.

I'd really misplayed it timing wise and I should have known better. My heart started to sink at the mention of the the oven on 160C and then at the bottom of the paragraph for 1.5 hours. I was frustrated with myself I could have easily got this on at lunch time. Yet now it had gone passed 5pm and the boy was home! Just him and me which was a little blessing. I reached for the pressure cooker....not part of the recipe in an attempt to save some time and I was quite pleased with the results.

Serves 6

• coriander, large bunch

• chicken thighs, skin on, bone in - 1kg (about 5 thighs)

• banana shallots - 2 peeled, halved and thinly sliced

• green chilli, seeds removed, and diced

• garlic cloves - 2 peeled and crushed with a garlic press

• curry powder - a table spoon

• leek - 1 (about 400g trimmed weight), diced

• cavolo nero, 100g or so, 10 leaves

• coconut milk, 400ml can (recipe called for the light version, I only had full)

• Lime - 1

Coriander first, if you can get a clean swipe at all the stalks, I cut the ends off and then finely chop.

Keeping the leaves to one side, some for garnish and some for finely chopping and adding at the end.

Heat a large stock pot over medium heat, season the chicken and place skin down to colour, then turn to colour the other side. Remove from the pan and place in the pressure cooker.

Add the shallots and chilli, gently soften by frying in the chicken fat, stirring frequently so as not to catch. Add the finely chopped coriander stalks if using along with the garlic, stir through. Then the curry powder and stir through for a minute.

Stir in 400ml water, season with a little sea salt and then transfer to the pressure cooker.

Our pressure cooker has a setting for pot roast, 60Kpa, 20 mins. Find an equivalent setting and let the time travel magic happen.

Whilst this is happening back with the pan I add the leaks with a little olive and soften them on a low heat. Strip the stalks from the cavolo nero, keeping the leaves for later. Finely dice the stalks and add to the leaks. You could also add a few mushrooms if you like. Then add the coconut milk either at this point, or the end if using the light version to avoid splitting.

Remove the chicken pieces (keeping the stock), discarding the skin and bones, chop to preferred size or shred.

Stir the meat into the leak base along with the stock. Shred the cavolo nero leaves and add. Then gently reheat, so the coconut milk doesn't split. Stir in the lime juice and coriander and serve in warm bowls scattered with extra coriander leaves.

The boy had his portion with rice and I just went plain.....very good.

Time from start to finish, about 1hr 15 mins!