Coconut Curry Chicken in the crock-pot

Ok, yesterday I was "complaining" about how good my house smelled while dinner was cooking and was asked to share the recipe. I know, what a thing to suffer, yummy smells from the kitchen. But there are two reasons why this was so difficult: 1.) it was a chicken dish and I've pretty much gone to being a vegetarian/vegan so it was pure torture to smell that good and 2.) it was a crock-pot recipe and it cooked ALL. DAY. LONG! I kept telling myself that I would make a tofu version of this recipe but didn't realize I actually did have extra firm tofu in the fridge to do so. Next time I will. Because I caved this time, fell off the proverbial wagon.

So, without further ado, the recipe I made yesterday...

It was loosely based on the Rachel Ray crock-pot Thai Coconut Curry Chicken recipe on the crock-pot lady's A Year of CrockPotting blog. One of the best blogs ever. Reading the recipe again, ok, it was very losely based on this one. I have made this one before, following it exactly. Once. Because I only ever follow a recipe exactly, once. If that. So never mind, here's my version!

- Frozen Chicken
- Two cans coconut milk, you could use light but it tastes better if you use the thick stuff.
- 1 Tbsp Hot Curry Paste
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- 4 medium potatoes
- 2 sweet potatoes or yams
- 1 large onion or two little ones
- 1 red pepper
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh minced ginger, more if using dried.
- 1 C frozen peas
dash of salt and pepper

I used a 6 quart crock-pot.

Throw the chicken in the crock-pot frozen or fresh doesn't really matter but if it's frozen be sure you give it enough time to cook through. I think I used 5 breasts because that's what I had in the freezer, it was 1.79 lbs according to the label. You could use more or less and legs and thighs work well too, I know because I've used them.

Chop and add all the veggies but the peas. Add garlic, salt, pepper, brown sugar and ginger, I've also used a lot of ginger cut into long thin strips in this recipe if I'm going to be able to cook it a long time (on low rather than high) but my ginger was nasty so I had to opt for the powdered variety this time. Pour in one can of coconut milk, if you want a lot of the sauce like we do then fill that can with water and add that as well. Lastly, add curry paste which I think it could use more but my kids won't eat it then so Jeremy and I add more later but be careful if you do that, it's easy to over-do curry paste. Stir all the top ingredients (leave the chicken alone at the bottom), cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 but I have to tell you, it tastes so much better cooked on low and the chicken is melt in your mouth tender.

Thirty minutes before serving add the peas and the second can of coconut milk. This way the peas stay nice and bright green with a firm texture. If you add them too soon they turn kind of gray and mushy which I don't like at all but if that's your thing then go for it. This would also be a good time to start your rice if you're serving it over sticky/Jasmine rice. It's also great with couscous which takes a lot less time than the rice.

I serve straight from the stoneware of the crockpot but before I put it on the table I fish out the chicken and cut it up into chunks for easier serving and we eat less that way I've noticed.

This is a favorite dish of my family, we eat it as often as we can. It's easy and feeds the 6 of us with significant left overs which always makes me happy. That, and that there are only two cooking dishes dirty from this counting the rice pot and the crock-pot. Next time I really have to try to make one with tofu so I can eat guilt-free. But this time I enjoyed it and my guilt vanished by the second bite.

Enjoy!