Mayonaise chutney chicken (vra-na-meer-hoender)
Mayonnaise and chutney may sound like an unusual combination for a chicken casserole, but this flavoursome dish is much-loved in South Africa.
It never fails to increase the appetite of your guests, who will invariably ask for more chicken, or, as we say in Afrikaans, "vra na meer hoender".
Serves 4 to 6.
Ingredients
Our additive-free, healthier recipe
(as shown on photograph)
- 6 to 8 chicken portions, or a whole chicken (the cooking time will be longer)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of chopped garlic
- 1 teaspoon Worcester sauce
- ¾ to 1 cup chutney
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup water
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Original recipe:
- 6 to 8 chicken portions
- 1 packet brown onion soup powder or 1 onion, chopped
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup chutney
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Pre-heat oven to 160°C
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper and put in oven-proof casserole dish.
- If using a fresh onion, sauté gently for 10 to 15 minutes until the onions are soft and has a golden colour. Do not burn it. Add ¼ cup water, chopped garlic and Worcester sauce.
If using onion soup powder, mix soup powder and boiling water. - Mix onion with chutney and pour sauce over chicken.
- Cover casserole dish and bake in oven at 160°C for 1½ hours if you used chicken portions, or 2 to 2 ½ hours if it's a whole chicken.
- Gently stir the mayonnaise into the sauce just before serving.
Serve with rice and fresh, mixed salad.
Notes
In the traditional recipe, the mayonnaise is added into the casserole before cooking, but it will curdle while baking, which is why we add the mayonnaise at the last possible moment.