This is based on Tahiti’s coconut fafa chicken. Fafa is a taro with more tender leaves, also known as Polynesian spinach.
These leaves need to be boiled in salt water for quite sometime before using to avoid irritation on the tongue. I enjoyed something similar as part of a traditional ahima’a (Tahiti’s version of a hangi) at the Tiki Village, Moorea. I have used spinach, and added kumara which helps thicken the sauce. You can thicken with a cornflour slurry instead if you wish.
Click here to read more about my recent trip to Tahiti.
Ingredients
| 1 | Onion, chopped |
| 2 | Garlic cloves, crushed |
| 5 cm | Ginger, grated |
| 1 medium | Kumara, chopped in 1.5cm cubes |
| 2 Tbsp | Coconut oil |
| 450 g | Free-range boned & skinned chicken thighs (Main) |
| 1 cup | Chicken stock |
| 800 g | Spinach, including stalks, washed and chopped (Main) |
| 1 cup | Coconut cream, (don't shake the can so you can use as much of the thicker cream that settles on the top as possible) |
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Directions
- Stir-fry onion, garlic, ginger and kumara in oil over a medium-low heat until onion is translucent.
- Turn up heat, add chicken and stir-fry until brown.
- Turn heat back down and add chicken stock and spinach. Simmer, stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
- Add coconut cream, season with salt and pepper and cook a couple of minutes until hot.
- Serve with chopped tomatoes mixed with a little lemon juice and French bread to mop up the delicious juices.
