Thai Peanut Chicken with Noodles

I love Thai food and so does my husband. He's actually travelled to Taiwan and knows authentic when he eats it. I always wanted to try to cook Thai food but haven't yet until this past week. I made two dishes, Shrimp Curry and Thai Peanut Chicken. This post is about the chicken. 

Thai can be very intimidating since some recipes call for so many ingredients and/or steps to follow, but that didn't deter me. Here are the ingredients for this yummy dish. It's a recipe I found in a Thai book and I gave it the "Lori Twist"

1 13.5-13-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp red curry paste
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 clove garlic, minced
1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (depends on how spicy you want it)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1- 1/2 lb dark meat chicken 
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro
2-4 Tbsp chopped peanuts
Thai noodles or hot cooked rice

1 - In a medium saucepan, whisk together coconut milk and peanut butter until nearly smooth. Whisk in broth, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, curry paste, ginger, 1 minced garlic clove and cayenne pepper. Bring just to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for about 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

2 - Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Combine flour, salt and black pepper into a shallow dish or plate. Coat the chicken with this mix (you may remove skin if desired). 

3 - In a large skillet, heat the oil and remaining garlic and cook the chicken until brown turning occasionally.Transfer the chicken to an ungreased casserole dish or baking dish. 

4 - Pour the peanut butter mix over the chicken and cover loosely with foil. Bake for one hour occasionally spooning the sauce over chicken. Bake uncovered for another 20-30 minutes or until very tender. Always make sure it's fully cooked. I use a digital thermometer. 

4 - Transfer chicken to a serving platter and skim any fat off the sauce. Pour the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with the cilantro and chopped nuts. Serve with rice or Thai noodles.

 

I served it with Thai noodles. This meal is one that needs time so if it's one of those nights where you're rushed, I don't advise this one. However, this is perfect for a Sunday night dinner.