African Chicken (Macanese One-Pan Chicken Curry)
The national dish of Macau: succulent roasted chicken baked in a rich, spicy coconut-peanut piri-piri sauce with shallots and paprika.
Ingredients
- • 2 lbs bone-in skin-on chicken thighs and/or legs ((*Footnote 1))
- • 1/2 tablespoon Madras curry powder
- • 1/2 tablespoon paprika
- • 1 teaspoon salt ((and extra for sprinkle))
- • 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- • 1 onion (sliced)
- • 1 tablespoon ginger (minced)
- • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- • 1 tablespoon paprika powder
- • 1 teaspoon chilli flakes (for spiciness (Optional))
- • 2 tablespoons Madras curry powder
- • 1 cup chicken stock
- • 1/2 can coconut milk
- • 1/4 cup unsalted natural peanut butter
- • 1/4 cup oyster sauce
- • 2 bay leaves
- • 1 russet potato (peeled and chopped into 1” pieces)
- • 2 sweet peppers (roll cut into 1” (2.5 cm) pieces)
- • Parsley for garnish (chopped (Optional))
Preparation Steps
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Combine the 1/2 tablespoon curry powder, 1/2 tablespoon paprika, and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. For thigh pieces, rub the spice mixture over the chicken meat, leaving the skin. Generously sprinkle salt over chicken skin. Sprinkle the spices evenly over the leg pieces. Let marinate while preparing the other ingredients.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12” oven-safe frying pan (*Footnote 2) over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add chicken, skin side down. Cook over medium heat until the skin turns golden crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Then flip to cook the spiced side until just toasted, 1 minute or so. For the leg pieces, cook, rotating occasionally, until all sides are toasted but not burned, about 1 minute per side. Turn off the heat. Transfer chicken to a plate.
Add the remaining of the 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the same pan and turn to medium heat. Add the onion. Cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add ginger and garlic. Stir fry for 30 seconds, to release the aroma.
Add paprika and curry powder. Stir until the ingredients are well coated with spices, 20 to 30 seconds.
Add chicken stock, coconut milk, peanut butter, oyster sauce, bay leaves and potato. Stir with a spatula to dissolve the peanut butter until it’s well blended with the sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes (*Footnote 2). Add the pepper and top with the chicken without overlapping the pieces, skin side up. Transfer to the oven. Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the skin crispy, about 45 minutes. Garnish with parsley. Serve hot by itself or over steamed rice as a main dish.