Hoppers
By Karan Gokani
Kalupol roast chicken
Not Too Tricky
serves 4
About the recipe
This was one of the very first dishes we developed for our menu, based on a classic Kalupol chicken curry. We bought a rotisserie just to cook this one dish and the result was totally worth it. We served this spectacular chicken whole and you could see conversations stop and eyes following the plate every time a waiter walked one through our tiny Soho restaurant. Guests who hadn’t ordered the chicken would watch lustfully and vow to return to eat it another day. Many would return, often again and again, just for this one dish. The recipe below has been adapted for the home oven but is equally effective – after trying it once you might find you never want to eat a whole chicken any other way.
Recipe From
Ingredients
1.2–1.5kg (2lb 12oz–3lb 5oz) chicken, spatchcocked (see Tips)
FOR THE MARINADE
1 tbsp basmati rice
1 tbsp grated fresh coconut
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
¾ tbsp chilli powder
3 tbsp Roasted Curry Powder (see Tips)
1 lemongrass stick
8–10 curry leaves
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp vegetable oil
ROASTED CURRY POWDER — MAKES ABOUT 200G (7OZ) (or use a roasted Sri Lankan curry powder)
25g (1oz) green cardamom seeds
5g cloves
50g (1¾oz) cinnamon sticks or broken pieces
50g (1¾oz) basmati rice
150g (5½oz) coriander seeds
75g (2½oz) cumin seeds
50g (1¾oz) fennel seeds
10g (¼oz) fenugreek seeds
15g (½oz) black peppercorns
25g (1oz) curry leaves or 10g (¼oz) dried curry leaves
15g (½oz) pandan leaves or 5g dried pandan leaves
Top Tip
SPATCHCOCKING
I’m a big fan of spatchcocking chicken. By increasing the surface area and allowing air to circulate throughout the bird, it allows the chicken to cook both quickly and evenly, which is great when you’re after a roasted chicken but don’t have the time to invest. Because of the relatively high cooking temperature compared to whole roast chicken, it is much easier to colour the skin and get a bit of crunch on the outside. For me, it’s the perfect alternative to a rotisserie chicken when cooking at home.
To spatchcock, ensure you have a pair of sharp scissors and a large chopping board. Remove any trussing from the bird and turn it upside down, with the breast facing down and cavity facing you. Use the scissors to cut along either side of the backbone which runs down the centre of the bird; the first cut will be the toughest as this is the largest bone to cut through. Remove the backbone and save for roasting to make future stocks or gravy. Flip the bird back over and press firmly between the two breasts until you hear a ‘pop’, where the breast bone has broken. The chicken should now sit flat with the legs and wings tucked neatly by the sides.
ROASTED CURRY POWDER
This spice blend is darker than the basic unroasted curry powder and has a nuttier flavour. The addition of rice intensifies this nuttiness and helps to thicken curries and sauces as well; I used basmati in this recipe, but red rice will work too. As the ingredients are fully roasted before grinding, this curry powder doesn’t need to be fried in fat or cooked for very long when used in a dish. Consequently, it’s often added to dishes towards the end of the cooking process and simply sprinkled over and stirred through. That said, I have seen Sri Lankan friends use this to marinate meats before adding them to curries.
1. Heat a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Roast the cardamom, cloves and cinnamon in the dry pan, stirring frequently for 2–3 minutes until fragrant but being careful not to burn them.
2. Add the rice and continue roasting for 12–14 minutes until nutty and light brown. Roast the remaining ingredients separately for 12–14 minutes, stirring constantly, until the leaves are dry and brittle.
3. Leave to cool completely before grinding to a fine powder in a blender or spice grinder. Pass through a strainer and grind any remaining large pieces. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 1 month.
NOTE
Grinding spices while they are still warm risks their oils separating and the powder turning into a paste. Moreover, it also results in the grinder overheating, which can burn the spices and damage the motor. You can tip the freshly roasted spices onto a large plate or tray as spreading them out will help cool them down quicker.
Method
- 1. To make the marinade, place the rice in a wok over a medium-high heat and toast for 5 minutes. Then add the coconut and continue toasting for 10 more minutes until both the rice and coconut are deep golden brown. Be careful not to burn them.
- 2. Once cooled, transfer to a pestle and mortar or spice grinder and pound to a fine powder. Add the remaining marinade ingredients and pound or grind to a paste. Rub the paste all over the chicken, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
- 3. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F. Place the chicken on a large roasting tray lined with foil and roast for 40 minutes, then increase the heat to 220°C/200°C fan/430°F and cook the chicken for a further 15 minutes. Check that the chicken is cooked by piercing the thickest part of the thigh with a knife. The juices should run clear; if not, return the chicken to the oven covered with foil for a further 5 minutes and check again. Once cooked, remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes, before carving and serving with any roasting juices from the tray.
- 4. For the ideal Sri Lankan roast, serve alongside a sambol or mallung, some curry sauce and pol rotis.
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