Gaeng Rawaeng Recipe

Gaeng Rawaeng

5.0

(3)

3 Reviews

At Nari in San Francisco, chef Pim Techamuanvivit's gaeng rawaeng, a whole Cornish game hen submerged in a deeply savory golden curry redolent with spices is served with impossibly flaky roti for sopping. In this recipe, a small chicken—standing in here for the Cornish game hen in the original dish—gently cooks in a velvety sauce of coconut milk spiced with chiles and galangal, a piney, citrus-flavored cousin of ginger. Don't shake the cans of coconut milk—the solidified cream and liquid are added separately. Refrigerate the cans for about 1 hour prior to cooking to encourage separation. Use a mix of green chile varieties to suit your preference for piquancy.

By Pim Techamuanvivit

Updated on August 2, 2023

Tested by

Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Gaeng Rawaeng — Photo: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

Total Time:

1 hr

Servings:

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

Curry Paste

5 ounces assorted fresh green chiles (Thai chile, serrano, and/or jalapeño), seeded and chopped
¼ cup chopped lemongrass (from tender bottoms of 2 lemongrass stalks)
1 ounce fresh turmeric root, peeled and chopped (about 3 tablespoons), or 1/2 tablespoon ground turmeric
½ ounces fresh galangal, peeled and chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
4 fresh cilantro roots or stems, chopped
¼ teaspoon coriander seeds
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground mace
½ whole star anise

Chicken

2 (13 1/2-ounce) cans coconut milk (not shaken or stirred)
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon fish sauce (such as Red Boat), divided
1 3-pound whole chicken, wings tucked
1 lemongrass stalk, halved crosswise
2 teaspoons light brown sugar, or to taste
5 mini sweet peppers (about 4 1/2 ounces), seeded and cut lengthwise into ¼-inch-wide strips
½ cup loosely packed fresh Thai basil leaves or lemon basil leaves
Warm roti, for serving

Directions

Make the curry paste

Combine green chiles, lemongrass, turmeric, galangal, cilantro, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, mace, and star anise in a blender. Process until mixture is finely chopped and starts to form a paste, about 2 minutes, stopping to push mixture down using a plunger or lemongrass stalk as needed.

Make the chicken

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spoon out thick coconut cream from tops of coconut milk cans to measure 1 cup. Reserve remaining coconut milk in cans. Place thick coconut cream and curry paste in a 4- to 5-quart Dutch oven. Cook over medium, stirring constantly, until a layer of oil shimmers on top and mixture appears curdled, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup fish sauce. Add chicken, breast side up, and spoon curry mixture over top until chicken is well coated. Add reserved coconut milk to sauce around chicken; stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium. Cover Dutch oven, and transfer to preheated oven. Roast until chicken is tender and a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of thighs registers 155°F, 30 to 40 minutes, basting chicken with curry sauce once after 20 minutes.
Insert tongs in chicken cavity; carefully remove chicken, and set aside on a large plate. Bring curry mixture to a boil over medium-high. Add lemongrass; cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce starts to reduce and thicken, about 5 minutes. Add brown sugar and remaining 1 tablespoon fish sauce; stir to combine. Add mini sweet peppers; return chicken to Dutch oven. Cook, stirring occasionally, until peppers soften slightly, about 3 minutes.
Transfer chicken, curry sauce, and lemongrass to a deep serving platter. Sprinkle with basil, and serve with roti.