Recipe: Chicken in spiced coconut milk

1.2kg chicken leg (boneless), cut into 2.5cm cubes
30ml coconut oil
250g chicken spice paste
2 stalks of lemon grass, bruised
1 salam leaf
3 kaffir leaves, bruised
1 pinch salt (or to taste)
300ml chicken stock
125ml coconut cream
1 lime
Fried shallots to garnish
(as an option you could also add shitake mushrooms or diced eggplants to the dish)

1 Combine chicken with 125g chicken spice paste and blend well.

2 Heat oil in a heavy saucepan, add remaining 125g spice paste, lemon grass, kaffir lime and salam leaves and saute for two minutes over low heat until fragrant.

3 Add meat and continue to saute for two minutes, or until meat has changed colour.

4 Fill up with chicken stock, blend well and bring to a simmer for two minutes.

5 Add coconut cream, mix well and bring very slowly to a simmer. Reduce heat to 65C and allow chicken to cook for seven minutes.

6 Season with salt to taste, the zest and juice of one lime and sliced lemon.

Basic spice paste

300g large red chilli, halved, seeded and diced
100g garlic, peeled and sliced
75g ginger, peeled and sliced
500g shallot, peeled and sliced
75g galangal, (laos) peeled and sliced
100g kencur (lesser galangal) washed and sliced
175g tumeric, peeled and sliced
2 tbsp dried shrimp paste, roasted
2 tbsp coriander seed, crushed
75g candlenuts, crushed
1 tbsp black pepper corn, crushed
¼ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
8 cloves, crushed
2 stalks lemongrass, bruised
2 salam leaves
150ml vegetable oil
250ml water
¾ tbsp salt

1 Combine all ingredients, except water, oil, salam leaves and lemongrass in a food processor or stone mortar and grind coarsely.

2 Place in a heavy saucepan, add all remaining ingredients and cook over a medium heat for approximately 60 minutes or until all water is evaporated and marinade changes to golden colour. Cool before using.