Thai Chicken Curry 

(serves 6)

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces about 2 inches square (leave bone in
- sweetens flavour and adds gelatin to sauce)
280 ml can of coconut milk
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1/2 medium sized onion, finely chopped
12 peeled shallots, left whole
1 stalk (fleshy part only) lemon grass, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons green curry paste
1 piece (about 1 inch) fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped
2 makrut (kaffir) lime leaves
1 can straw mushrooms, with half the brine saved
50 ml Thai/Vietnamese fish sauce
2 teaspoons green peppercorns
2 small green or red chillies, finely chopped

To garnish:
1/2 bunch each fresh coriander (cilantro) or Thai mint, and mint,
finely chopped
6 tablespoons chopped/crushed roasted, unsalted peanuts
1/2 small cucumber, unpeeled, sliced

Do not shake can of coconut milk, but carefully spoon 2 tablespoons of
the thicker part into a saucepan, and heat with the 2 tablespoons of
oil.  Saute the onion, shallots, lemon grass and garlic a moment, then
stir in the curry paste.  Add the ginger, lime leaves and straw
mushrooms, then the chicken pieces.  Add remaining coconut milk and
brine from straw mushrooms, simmer about 5 minutes, then add fish
sauce.  Stir in the green peppercorns and the shredded chillies.
Simmer just below boiling point until chicken pieces are cooked (about
15 minutes.
Spoon over cooked rice in wide soup bowls, top with loads of fresh
mint and cilantro, a few peanuts and some cucumber slices on the side.