Thai Baked Chicken with Fried Rice

Method

1. Roughly chop 2 inches lemon grass and add to a blender jar. Add galangal, ginger, green chillies, 2-3 makrut lime leaves, salt, spring onion greens, 3-4 basil leaves, coriander sprigs and sufficient water and blend to a smooth paste.
2. Preheat oven to 180 º C.
3. Put the chicken cubes in a bowl. Add this paste, salt and olive oil and mix well. Add coconut milk and mix. Add the makrut lime zest and mix well.
4. Transfer the chicken cubes into a coconut shell and place it on a baking tray filled with rock salt. Slit spring onion bulbs and add to the chicken. Add remaining basil leaves, crushed peppercorns, remaining makrut lime leaves and remaining lemon grass. Cover with an aluminium foil, put the tray in the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or till the chicken is fully cooked.
5. To make the fried rice, blanch the cluster beans, finely chop the ginger, garlic and green chilli.
6. Heat oil in a non-stick pan, add ginger, garlic and green chilli, mix and saute for 1 minute.
7. Slice makrut lime leaves and spring onion bulb and add along with ivy gourds, blanched cluster beans and salt, mix and saute for 2 minutes.
8. Tear basil leaves and add along with soy sauce and brown rice and toss well.
9. Chop coriander sprigs and add along with crushed peppercorns, toss and saute for 2 minutes.
10. Transfer the fried rice onto a serving plate, garnish with some coriander leaves.
11. Remove the chicken from the oven and discard the foil. Garnish with micro greens and serve hot with fried rice.

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