1 piece galingal or fresh ginger, 2.5cm
long, peeled and thinly sliced
2 small green chilies, seeded and finely
chopped
1 piece shrimp paste, 12mm square, or 1
tbsp fish sauce
400g canned coconut milk
300ml chicken stock
2 lime leaves - optional
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp rice or white wine vinegar
2 ripe tomatoes, to garnish
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves, to
garnish
boiled rice, to serve
Method :
To joint the
chicken, remove the legs and wings with a chopping knife. Skin the
pieces and divide the drumsticks form the thighs and using a pair of
kitchen scissors, remove the lower part of the chicken leaving the
breast piece. Remove as many of the bones as you can, to make the dish
easier to eat. Cut the breast piece into 4 and set aside. Dry fry the
coconut in a large wok until evenly brown. Add the vegetable oil,
shallots or onion, garlic, lemon grass, galingal or ginger, chilies and
shrimp paste or fish sauce. Fry briefly to release the flavors. Preheat
the oven to 350F, Gas 4. Add the chicken joints to the wok and brown
evenly with the spices for 2-3 minutes. Strain the coconut milk, and add
the thin part with the chicken stock, lime leaves if using, sugar and
vinegar. Transfer to a glazed clay pot, cover and bake for 50-55 minutes
or until the chicken is tender. Stir in the thick part of the coconut
milk and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes to simmer and thicken.
Place the tomatoes in a bowl and cover with boiling water to loosen and
remove the skins. Halve the tomatoes, remove the seeds and cut into
large dice. Add the tomatoes to the finished dish, scatter with the
chopped coriander and serve with a bowl of rice.
Clay pot
cooking stems form the practice of buying a glazed pot in the embers of
an open fire. The gentle heat surrounds the base and keeps the liquid
inside at a slow simmer, similar to the modern day casserole.