Dish of the week: Venezuelan chocolate chilli chicken
There are very many versions of chocolate chilli chicken, but I chose to include this one as it's fantastically quick and easy to make. I can't say it's authentic, but it does have the wow factor when eaten, and the Venezuelan chocolate adds a deep rich glossy finish and flavour.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon dark muscovado sugar
150g Venezuelan dark chocolate, broken into pieces
Bunch of coriander leaves (about 25g)
4 banana shallots, chopped finely
2 garlic cloves, chopped finely
1 tablespoon light olive oil
4 organic, free-range chicken thighs
4 organic, free-range chicken drumsticks
Juice and zest of 3 oranges
3 fresh red chillies, finely diced
2 teaspoons dried mulatto chillies (or any other mild chillies)
Method
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6.
In a casserole dish, sauté the shallots and the garlic in the olive oil, then add the chicken pieces and brown on all sides. Add the orange juice and zest, fresh and dried chillies, coriander seeds, tomatoes and sugar and simmer for 5 minutes. Pop on the lid and cook in the oven for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven, lift out the chicken and stir the chocolate into the remaining sauce. Serve with the sauce smothered over the chicken with generous amounts of chopped or torn coriander leaves.
Adventures with Chocolate: 80 Sensational Recipes by Paul A. Young is published by Kyle Books, priced £14.99. Photography by Anders Schonnemann.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon dark muscovado sugar
150g Venezuelan dark chocolate, broken into pieces
Bunch of coriander leaves (about 25g)
4 banana shallots, chopped finely
2 garlic cloves, chopped finely
1 tablespoon light olive oil
4 organic, free-range chicken thighs
4 organic, free-range chicken drumsticks
Juice and zest of 3 oranges
3 fresh red chillies, finely diced
2 teaspoons dried mulatto chillies (or any other mild chillies)
Method
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6.
In a casserole dish, sauté the shallots and the garlic in the olive oil, then add the chicken pieces and brown on all sides. Add the orange juice and zest, fresh and dried chillies, coriander seeds, tomatoes and sugar and simmer for 5 minutes. Pop on the lid and cook in the oven for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven, lift out the chicken and stir the chocolate into the remaining sauce. Serve with the sauce smothered over the chicken with generous amounts of chopped or torn coriander leaves.
Adventures with Chocolate: 80 Sensational Recipes by Paul A. Young is published by Kyle Books, priced £14.99. Photography by Anders Schonnemann.