RED THAI CURRY WITH STEWING HENS
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Adapted from Cookie and Kate’s Thai Red Curry with Vegetables
This is an incredible curry with a rich, homemade broth from stewing hens that are free to roam on grass. The stewing hens will need to simmer overnight about 10 to 12 hours prior to making the curry. If the whole hens do not fit inside your crockpot, cut them into halves or smaller pieces. Once done simmering, be sure to strain the broth to remove bones.
I used stewing hens from Reverence Farm in Graham, NC. All their products are over-the-top delish! Stewing hens have tougher meat so they need to be simmered a long time.
The finished curry freezes, thaws, and reheats very well!
INGREDIENTS
Set 1
2 stewing hens about 2 ½ pounds each
Water to cover hens in the crockpot
2 teaspoons salt
Set 2
½ cup coconut oil
1 medium white or yellow onion, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
5 long slices of peeled ginger
Set 3
3 stalks celery, sliced crosswise about ¼-inch thick
1 cup baby carrots, quartered lengthwise first then measured
2 red bell peppers, sliced about ¼-inch thick then cut into 1-inch pieces
Set 4
4-ounce jar red Thai curry paste
Set 5
2 cups fresh chicken broth from the stewing hen simmer
2 – 14-ounce cans of thick coconut milk
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar or fresh lime juice
2 to 3 tablespoons coconut sugar (if you use granulated sugar, start with 1 tablespoon because it’s sweeter)
Hot peppers or hot pepper paste
Set 6
1 cup loosely packed Thai basil leaves
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Set 7
Extra Thai basil leaves and fresh lime slices for garnish
Tools: large crockpot, large soup pot, strainer, ladle, large mason jars
DIRECTIONS
Place stewing hens in the crockpot. Fill the pot with water. Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Simmer on low for 10 to 12 hours. Remove hens from the broth. Collect 2 cups of broth from the crockpot and strain. Debone chicken once cool enough to touch, and shred large pieces with your fingers.
Place the bones back into the crockpot. Add a tablespoon of white vinegar to the broth. The vinegar helps to draw out more flavor and nutrients from the bones. Add an additional 2 cups of water back to the crockpot. Simmer for 12 more hours to finish making broth.
Go through the chicken meat one more time to find and remove stray pieces of bone. Set meat and the 2 cups of broth aside.
Heat ¼ cup of coconut oil in a large stock pot on medium heat. Sautee onions till translucent. Add garlic and ginger. Sautee for a minute. Add the celery and carrots then cook for a few minutes to slightly soften. Add remaining coconut oil. Add the bell peppers and sautee for a minute. Spoon in the curry paste and stir till ingredients are well combined.
Pour the broth, shredded chicken, and coconut milk into the pot. Mix well. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, coconut sugar, and hot pepper. Stir to dissolve sugar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the cup of loosely packed Thai basil leaves and stir. Taste curry. Add more rice vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt, black pepper, spicy pepper, or Thai basil leaves to taste.
Enjoy a bowl of this Thai red curry with a side of white rice.
Back to the broth in the crockpot. Once done simmering, strain out all bones. Pour into mason jars to cool then place in fridge. If not using within a week, transfer cold broth into freezable containers.
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