Coconut Ginger Roast Chicken

About This Recipe

This roast chicken reflects the Caribbean-Canadian influence found in cities like Toronto and Montreal, where coconut milk and fresh ginger are pantry staples used well beyond curries. Instead of the more typical butter-and-herb approach to a Sunday roast, this version rubs the chicken with a paste of fresh ginger, garlic and lime, then bastes it partway through roasting with coconut milk, which caramelizes slightly on the skin and keeps the meat moist throughout the cook. The technique of basting with coconut milk rather than incorporating it under the skin is deliberate: it lets the initial dry rub crisp the skin in the oven's early high heat, then the coconut milk goes on to add richness and a faint sweetness without turning the skin soggy. Fresh ginger, used generously both in the rub and simmered into the basting liquid, is what carries the dish, giving it a warmth that's distinct from a typical herb-roasted chicken. It's a Sunday dinner that shows how thoroughly ingredients like coconut milk and ginger have become part of everyday Canadian home cooking, not confined to any single cuisine's traditional dishes.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1.8 kgwhole chicken
• 3 tbspfresh ginger(grated, divided)
• 4 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1lime(zested and juiced)
• 2 tbspoil
• 1.5 tspfine sea salt
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 1 cupcoconut milk
• 2green onions(sliced, for garnish)
• 2 tbspfresh cilantro(chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the rub

   Mix half the ginger, garlic, lime zest, oil, salt and pepper into a paste.

2. 2

   Season the chicken

   Rub the paste all over the chicken, including under the breast skin. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

3. 3

   Start roasting

   Roast at 220°C (425°F) for 20 minutes to crisp the skin.

4. 4

   Baste with coconut milk

   Reduce heat to 180°C (350°F). Whisk remaining ginger and lime juice into the coconut milk, then baste the chicken generously.

   Basting after the initial high-heat stage keeps the skin from turning soggy while still adding richness.

5. 5

   Finish roasting

   Continue roasting 45-50 minutes, basting once more halfway through, until internal temperature reaches 74°C at the thigh.

6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Rest 10-15 minutes. Scatter with green onion and cilantro before carving and serving with the pan juices.

Variations

• •

  Add a spoonful of curry powder to the rub for a bolder, more Caribbean-leaning flavor.

• •

  Spatchcock the chicken for a faster roast, about 45 minutes total.

• •

  Serve with coconut rice cooked in the leftover coconut milk from the can.

Storage

Refrigerate carved leftovers up to 3 days. Reheat gently covered with a splash of stock or coconut milk to keep the meat from drying out.

Frequently Asked Questions