Coconut-Curried Chicken with Roasted Eggplant

• Recipe by Marcia Kiesel and The Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Ingredients

MARINADE

1. 2 tablespoons dry white wine
2. 1 tablespoon peanut oil
3. 1 tablespoon curry powder
4. 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
5. 1 tablespoon soy sauce
6. 1 garlic clove, minced
7. 1 large shallot, minced
8. 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

CHICKEN

1. 4 boneless chicken breast halves, with skin
2. 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil
3. One 1 1/4 -pound eggplant, peeled and cut into 3-by-1 inch sticks
4. Salt and freshly ground pepper
5. 1/2 teaspoon sugar
6. 1 teaspoon soy sauce
7. 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
8. 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
9. 12 ounces freshly cooked egg noodles, for serving
10. 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
11. 2 tablespoons chopped unsalted peanuts

Directions

1. Make the marinade and marinate the chicken: In a large shallow glass or ceramic dish, combine the wine with the peanut oil, curry powder, ginger, soy sauce, garlic, shallot and lemon zest. Add the chicken breasts to the marinade and turn to coat. Set aside for at least 20 minutes or overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 450°. Spread a little of the the peanut oil on a large baking sheet. Arrange the eggplant on the sheet and season with salt and pepper. Bake on the bottom shelf of the oven until the sticks are well browned on the bottom, about 25 minutes. Using a metal spatula, scrape the eggplant from the sheet and set aside. 
3. In a large skillet, heat the remaining peanut oil over high heat until almost smoking. Add the chicken breasts, skin side down, and reduce the heat to moderately high. Cook the chicken until the skin is nicely browned, about 3 minutes. Turn the chicken and add 1 cup of water and the sugar. Cover, reduce the heat to moderately low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. 
4. Increase the heat to moderately high and add the soy sauce and lemon zest. Boil the cooking liquid to thicken it slightly and concentrate the flavor. Return the chicken to the skillet, add the coconut milk and simmer for 1 minute. 
5. Transfer the chicken to plates. Toss the eggplant with the egg noodles and arrange next to the chicken. Pour the sauce over the chicken and noodles and garnish with the cilantro leaves and peanuts. 
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