SPICY CHICKEN STEW

SERVES 4, OR 8 AS PART OF A SHARED ASIAN BANQUET

This boiled curry is so easy to prepare once you make the paste. It works nicely with duck legs or pork instead of chicken, just adjust the cooking times to suit the meat.

2 tomatoes, cored and quartered

4 cinnamon sticks

5 kaffir lime leaves

1 teaspoon sea salt

600 g (1 lb 5 oz) skinless chicken thigh fillets (organic, if possible), thickly sliced

3 tablespoons grated palm sugar (jaggery)

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons tamarind water

1 small handful sweet Thai basil leaves

SPICE PASTE

3 candlenuts, roasted until golden, then chopped (see note)

6 fresh long red chillies, chopped

3 red Asian shallots, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 cm (¾ inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

2 cm (¾ inch) piece galangal, chopped

2 lemongrass stems, white part only, tough outer leaves removed, chopped

2–3 cm (¾–1¼ inch) piece of fresh turmeric, chopped

For the spice paste, pound all the ingredients together in a mortar with a pestle to a fine paste, or process the ingredients with a blender, adding a little water, if necessary.

Place the spice paste, tomatoes, cinnamon stick, lime leaves and salt in a large heavy-based saucepan. Add 1 litre (35 fl oz/4 cups) water and bring to the boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer very gently for about 1½ hours.

Add the chicken, return the sauce to the boil, then simmer for about 8 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and the chicken is cooked. Add the palm sugar, fish sauce and tamarind water, then adjust the seasoning if necessary. Stir through the basil leaves to serve.

NOTE: Candlenuts can be toxic if consumed raw, so make sure you roast them well before adding to the spice paste.