Thai Royal Green Curry of Chicken with Young Peppercorns, Ginger and Coriander

For the the curry paste:

1. Chop all the ingredients, so the Food Processor can handle them, as all the ingredients are fibrous – you might have to process the ingredients in smaller batches.
2. In a Magimix or Food processor place the harder, tougher chopped ingredients, such as the ginger, garlic, galangal and lemongrass.
3. Pulse the ingredients until smooth. Constantly check to see that all is incorporated and smooth. Add salt to help break them down.
4. When the ingredients are becoming smooth, add the green chilli, and the coriander root and then the onion and the diced lime flesh, and a splash of water if necessary to make a semi smooth paste. Adding water is not a problem, because it will just evaporate when you are cooking out the sauce. In this state the paste can be kept in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
5. DO NOT BLEND WITH THE TURMERIC; it will dye everything yellow! Only add Turmeric when the paste is cooking
6. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add paste and cook over a low to medium heat, stirring to avoid it sticking, for about 15 to 20 minutes. The paste will dry out and then become aromatic.
7. Because the harder ingredients contain less water, they will become aromatic last. So you will smell the lemongrass and galangal at the end of the cooking out of the paste. You will smell the onion and the lime first and then the green chilli and the coriander root.
8. When the paste has lost it’s liquid and is dryer and concentrated, add the coconut cream. Reduce by gently simmering by about 1/3 (about 10 minutes). Add the juice of 1 Lime and the 2 tablespoons of fish sauce. At this stage the paste could be kept in the fridge for up to 1 week, or frozen in portion sizes. You could make up a large batch and keep it in this cooked form in the fridge or freezer. This way you can put together a fantastic curry in a very short space of time. With either chicken, vegetables, prawns, fish or beef.

For the curry:

1. Heat the Curry paste over a medium heat until steaming; if cooking the paste from raw, then follow the instructions on the previous recipe.
2. Add half of the Coconut Cream and bring to the boil. You can always add more cream later if necessary. Add the potatoes and cook until softened.
3. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Pre heat a griddle pan or grill and grill the chicken for 3 or 4 minutes each side until golden brown, bar marked and caramelised. You are not cooking the chicken all the way through, so that it can be finished off in the curry paste.
4. Add the Ginger, Peppercorns, half of the Lemon Grass and simmer gently on a low heat whilst stirring occasionally to stop from sticking.
5. Be careful to stir gently so that you do not break up any of the ingredients. Thin the paste if necessary with some water. Meanwhile prepare other ingredients: chop Spring Onions, Chillies and slice the Lemon Grass.
6. Add some tamarind pulp to sour the curry, Juice of one lime. Add the juice of one orange. Add some fish sauce or light soy sauce.
7. Slice the grilled chicken and add it to the curry sauce. The chicken will carry on cooking in the simmering curry paste.
8. Add the green beans and continue to gently simmer.
9. Roughly chop the herbs stir some into the simmering sauce. . Reduce the sauce. Use the rest to garnish the curry. Garnish the finished curry with Lemongrass, coriander, chopped green chilli, and spring onions.
10. It is important that you taste the sauce so that you get a balance of hot, sour salty and sweet.