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Marinated chicken drumsticks with chilli coconut relish, and rice paper rolls with lemongrass syrup
Serves 8 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 8 white peppercorns, ground
- 1tsp coriander seeds, ground
- 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 shallot, roughly chopped
- 1 stem lemongrass, tough outer leaves removed, and roughly chopped
- 2cm piece of galangal, roughly chopped
- 2 medium red chillies, chopped
- 1 kaffir lime leaf, chopped
- 16 coriander leaves
- 16 small chicken drumsticks, skin on
For the rice paper rolls
- 50g mixed mushrooms, finely shredded
- 1 medium, firm green-skinned mango (with yellow under-ripe flesh), peeled and shredded
- 8 canned water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
- 3 spring onions, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 150g soaked rice vermicelli noodles, cut into 1cm lengths
- 2-3tbsp roasted salted cashews, salt rubbed off and roughly crushed
- 1½tbsp fish sauce
- ½tsp chilli flakes
- 25g bunch of coriander, leaves picked, about 48 reserved and the rest chopped
- 16 x 15cm round rice paper wrappers
- sunflower oil, for greasing and deep-frying
For the lemongrass syrup
- 4 lemongrass stalks, halved and bruised with a rolling pin
- 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn
- 7tbsp golden caster sugar
For the chilli coconut relish
- fresh water from 1 coconut
- ½ fresh coconut, shelled, peeled and grated
- 2 green chillies, deseeded and chopped
- zest and juice of 2 limes
- 12g bunch of coriander, some stalks trimmed off, the rest roughly chopped
- 2 kaffir lime leaves, chopped
- 6tbsp coconut cream or cold water
- ¼-½tsp salt
Method
To make the chicken, put all the ingredients – except the coriander and chicken – in a blender and pulse to a purée. Reserve 1tsp for the lemongrass syrup. Stuff the rest of the marinade under the chicken skin and massage into the flesh. Chill for a few hours or overnight. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. When ready to cook, push a coriander leaf under the skin of each drumstick and secure with a cocktail stick. Wrap the bone ends in tinfoil to prevent burning. Cook for 20-25 minutes.
To make the rice paper rolls, mix together all the ingredients, except the wrappers, and divide into 16 portions. Pour some warm water into a large bowl and soak 1 wrapper at a time for 1 minute, or until it starts to crinkle at the edges. Lift each one out carefully and pat dry with kitchen paper. Put a portion of filling in the bottom centre of each wrapper and add a few of the reserved coriander leaves, top-side down onto the rice paper, so that the leaves will show when rolled up. Roll the wrapper up a couple of times to secure the filling, then bring the sides in to make a roll no more than 6cm long, and continue to roll up. Lay on a lightly oiled tray, seam-side down. Repeat to make 16 rolls. Cover with cling film and leave for up to 2 hours.
Heat 4cm of oil in a wok to 180°C/350°F (or use a deep-fryer) and fry the rolls, 2-3 at a time, for 2 minutes, turning them halfway through. Drain on kitchen paper.
To make the lemongrass syrup, put all the ingredients – except the reserved marinade – into a pan with 300ml water, bring to the boil, then simmer for about 5 minutes until syrupy. Add the reserved marinade and cool until needed.
Finally, make the chilli coconut relish. Put all the ingredients into a blender with the salt and purée until semi-smooth. Chill until needed.
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