Pot Roasted Coconut Chicken

This was a bit of an interesting meal.
The family all liked it...I have to wonder if that was due to the sugar in the sauce?
To me the potatoes were a bit odd in it, but from an ease of making a meal perspective it becomes a make again. the chicken was really tender.
I served it with beans and I wonder if they could have gone into the sauce to cook to save another cooking dish?

I reduced the sauce on heat while the chicken rested to make it a bit thicker. I use a stick concentrate, so might add less water next time to thicken it.

Ingredients

• 2 long red chilies (around 1 tbsp of very finely minced chilli.)
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger 
• 2 garlic cloves , crushed
• 1 tbsp coconut oil (or substitute with olive oil)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Black pepper
• 1 cup finely chopped cilantro/coriander leaves
• 1.6kg whole chicken
• 2 cups / 500 ml chicken broth/stock 
• 1 lemongrass , white part only, bruised
• 2 kaffir lime leaves
• 400ml light coconut milk (1 can)
• 400g baby potatoes , scrubbed clean
• 1 lime
• 2 tsp coconut sugar (or substitute with brown sugar)
• 1 tbsp fish sauce

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 390F/200C.

• Finely mince ONE red chilli (~1 tbsp). Combine chilli, ginger, garlic, oil, 1/2 cup cilantro/coriander, salt and pepper in a small bowl and set aside.

• Rinse and pat the chicken dry (inside and out) with paper towels. Starting from the neck end of the chicken, use a teaspoon upside down to loosen the skin from the meat across the surface of the chicken (i.e. not the legs or wings). Just go as far as you can.

• Spoon the cilantro/mixture between the meat and the skin near neck. Use the spoon to spread it a bit, then to finish it off, use your finger/hands ON the skin to spread the mixture as far and evenly as you can. Doesn't need to be perfect! 

• Place the chicken stock/broth, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass and the whole red chilli into a dutch oven or baking tray.

• Place the chicken in the broth, cover with a lid and roast for 45 minutes. Remove the lid, add the coconut milk and potatoes then roast for a further 30 minutes, or until juices run clear when pierced.

• Remove the chicken from the broth and cover loosely with foil to rest for 5 minutes.

• Skim excess fat off the surface of the broth

• Add the juice from the lime, sugar and fish sauce. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add remaining cilantro/coriander.

• Serve the chicken with the broth in a pouring jug, or cut up the chicken and serve it in the broth.