Coconut Crust Chicken

• 1 cup (250 mL) coarsely chopped fresh coriander or basil
• 3 garlic cloves, cut in half
• Finely grated peel of 1 lime
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) grated fresh ginger or 2 tsp (10 mL) bottled chopped ginger
• 400 ml can coconut milk
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) soy sauce
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) fish sauce
• 2 tsp (10 mL) brown sugar
• 2 tsp (10 mL) Tabasco sauce
• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) unsweetened shredded or desiccated coconut

Place coriander, garlic, lime peel and ginger in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Add coconut milk, soy and fish sauces, sugar and Tabasco. Pulse until blended. Slice chicken into large bite-size pieces. Place in a large plastic bag. Pour in coconut milk mixture. Push chicken down into marinade. Tightly seal bag with an elastic band as close to chicken as possible. Place in a bowl and refrigerate at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.

Preheat oven to 450F (230C). Line 2 baking sheets with foil, then set a wire rack on top. (Or just use pans and foil, but spray with vegetable oil.) Remove chicken from marinade. Discard marinade. Place coconut in a bowl. Lightly coat chicken with coconut, one piece at a time. Place on rack. Reduce oven temperature to 375F (190C). Bake until golden and chicken is springy when pressed, 40 to 45 minutes.

Serve with our Thai sauce or bottled plum sauce.