Green curry of chicken

SERVES 6-8 // PREP TIME 1 HR // COOK 1 HR 20 MINS

“We make this a lot at home when there’s any feasting or celebrating to be done,” says Anderson. “It’s still one of the most popular curries at the restaurant, for good reason – it’s as comforting and soothing as any chicken soup, but with a kick and warmth that really invigorates. Always make a big pot, it can be portioned and frozen. For most of these recipes, as in most Thai cooking, you will need a mortar and pestle; it’s probably my most used piece of equipment at home. It’s worth investing in a stone one that can fit at least a litre.”

40 gm lard or sunflower oil 425 ml canned coconut cream,

unshaken

250 ml (1 cup) coconut milk 1 whole chicken (1-1.5kg),

cut into 12 pieces

250 ml (1 cup) chicken stock 75 ml fish sauce (or to taste) 2 tbsp soft palm sugar 10 apple eggplant (see note), quartered and placed in acidulated water (see cook’s notes p168) 3 long green silken Thai eggplant (see note), cut into 4cm chunks and placed in acidulated water 1½ cups pea eggplant (see note), trimmed and placed in acidulated water 15 makrut lime leaves, deveined and torn 4 long red chillies, whole or thinly sliced (optional) 2½ cups (loosely packed) Thai basil, with flowering tops Steamed jasmine rice or fermented rice noodles (see note), to serve

GREEN CURRY PASTE 10 white peppercorns, dry-roasted (see cook’s notes, p168) 2 tsp coriander seeds, dry-roasted 1 tsp cumin seeds, dry-roasted 6 gm (1cm piece) galangal, thinly sliced

Peeled zest of 1 makrut lime, coarsely chopped 1 lemongrass stalk, white part only, thinly sliced 4 red shallots, coarsely chopped 10 long green chillies, coarsely chopped 15 green birdseye chillies, coarsely chopped 1 head of garlic, cloves coarsely chopped 5 coriander roots, coarsely chopped

1 tsp shrimp paste

½ cup birdseye chilli leaves

(optional; see note)

1 For curry paste, finely grind spices with a mortar and pestle. Add remaining ingredients in order of toughness with ½ tsp salt, pounding them to a paste (alternatively, blend in a food processor until smooth, but the mortar and pestle will give you better colour and fragrance).

2 Heat lard in a large wok or saucepan over medium heat. Add curry paste and the head of coconut cream skimmed from top of can, and stir until fragrant and oil separates (12-15 minutes). Add coconut milk and simmer over low heat until thickened (30 minutes). Increase heat to high, add chicken and stock, cover with a lid and simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked and flavour deepens (30 minutes). Add fish sauce, seasoning to taste, and stir in palm sugar and remaining coconut cream.

3 Increase heat to medium, then drain eggplant, add to wok, and simmer until tender (5 minutes). Remove from heat, stir in lime leaf, chilli and basil, and serve with rice.

Note Apple, green and pea eggplant are available from select Asian and Thai grocers. Substitute purple Japanese eggplant. Fermented rice noodles, or kanom jeen, are available from select Asian grocers. Substitute rice or somen noodles. If you have a chilli plant, add some leaves to the curry paste.

Wine suggestion Rich, textural orange wine.