Coconut poached chicken with edamame

Coconut poached chicken with edamame

Wah Lee's is a dive of a store. I mean that in the nicest possible way of course, I love the place. It's an Asian emporium and an Auckland icon that has been nestled in its Hobson Street shop since 1904. You'll find colourful paper lanterns, bamboo steamers, dried spices, Chinese tea, exotic ingredients and all sorts of curios from the east - all of it crammed into the tiny store with little regard for order or aesthetics. It's a dig-n-dive for foodies. My last haul was a 44 cm wooden rolling pin, a packet of Israeli cous cous and a bulk bag of palm sugar, all for a steal.

Adding palm sugar to coconut milk is like putting the Thai in Thailand. Combine with chilli, mint and kaffir lime leaves and you will be transported to the tropics.

Ingredients Serves 4
Chicken
400 grams skinless chicken fillets
400ml tin coconut milk
1½ tablespoons palm sugar, grated
3 tablespoons fish sauce
4 kaffir lime leaves

200 grams egg noodles

Edamame
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 cups shelled frozen edamame
4 shallots, thinly sliced

2 fresh mild chillis, thinly sliced
½ cup loosely packed mint leaves

Preparation
Wrap the chicken breast loosely in cling wrap and beat with a rolling pin or heavy pan to give them an even thickeness all over. Heat the coconut milk, palm sugar, fish sauce and lime leaves in a large saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce to a simmer and add the chicken. Cover the pan and cook for 10-15 minutes, turning once. Remove from heat and stand for 10 mins. Slice thinly.

Cook the noodles or rice according to packet directions. Drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the edamame, cooking for 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the shallots and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, until softened. Remove from the heat.

Divide the noodles among 4 bowls. Top with sliced chicken, edamame, shallots and poaching liquid then scatter with mint and fresh chillis to serve.