Beef Massaman-Style Curry And Chilli Chicken Skewers

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7, then take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air

Soak the skewers in water, then heat a large, hob-safe oven-proof casserole dish with a matching lid with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat

Note: Don't have one? Start cooking in a large, wide-based pan then transfer to an oven-proof dish and cover tightly with foil

Once hot, add the diced beef to the dish with a generous pinch of salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 min or until lightly browned

Peel and finely slice the shallot

Bash the lemongrass with a rolling pin

Remove the tough outer layers of the lemongrass and set aside for later then chop the softer inner core[s] finely

Boil a kettle

Once browned, add the chopped lemongrass, creamed coconut, peanut butter and half the sliced shallot (you'll use the rest later!)

Add 450ml [850ml] boiled water to the dish with the soy sauce and red Thai curry paste then bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, cover with a lid and put the dish in the oven for an initial 30 min

Meanwhile, slice the cucumber finely and zest 1/2 [1] lime

Add the sliced cucumber and remaining sliced shallot to a bowl with the juice of 1/4 [1/2] lime, a pinch of salt and a drizzle of vegetable oil – this is your cucumber salad

Chop the chicken breast portions into bite-sized pieces

Combine the chopped chicken breast and chilli relish in a large bowl with the lime zest and a pinch of salt – this is your marinated chicken

Once the curry has had an initial 30 min, reboil half a kettle

Chop the potatoes into quarters

Remove the dish from the oven and add the chopped potatoes then give everything a good mix up

Return the dish to the oven and cook, covered, for 30 min further or until the beef is tender – this is your beef massaman-style curry

Meanwhile, add the basmati rice to an oven-proof dish with the outer lemongrass layers and 300ml [600ml] boiled water

Cover tightly with tin foil and put the dish in the oven for 25-30 min or until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked – this is your baked lemongrass rice

When the curry has 15 min remaining, thread the marinated chicken onto the soaked skewers

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick with a matching lid) with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat

Once hot, add the chicken skewers and cook for 4 min, turning frequently so they brown on all sides

Once browned, add a splash of water, cover with a lid and cook for a further 6 min or until cooked through (no pink meat!) – these are your sweet chilli chicken skewers