One of the main reasons I keep this blog is to share stuff that I like. In this case, it happens to be a recipe, and once again, it’s one of our big-time favorites. I first had this close to fifteen years ago at Frank and Jeanne’s (a couple of my all-time favorite clients) New Year’s Day party.
After eating it there for several years in a row (and loving it), I finally got smart and asked for the recipe! It’s been so long now that what memory serves me is not the exact recipe originally given to me, but the result of many little tweaks throughout the years.
Over here, we love this during the cold winter months as the spice warms the body and the soul. It’s also fantastic to make for a gathering. You can do everything beforehand and let it sit in a dutch oven on the stove indefinitely – leaving you free to chat with your guests instead of being confined to the kitchen.
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups (2 cans) unsweetened coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons red curry paste
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar (optional)
- 1-2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 2 lemongrass stalks, bruised
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into thin strips
- 3/4 cup roasted ground peanuts
- 4 Thai chili peppers
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/2 – 1 cup pea pods
Directions:
- Put half the coconut milk into a heavy bottom saucepan or dutch oven and heat, stirring, until it separates.
- Add the red curry paste and cook until fragrant. Add the fish sauce, coconut sugar, turmeric, and lemongrass.
- Continue to cook until the color deepens. Add the rest of the coconut milk. Be careful not to rush this step. Take your time and let the flavors meld. Bring back to a boil.
- Add the chicken, ground peanuts, peanut butter, red pepper, pea pods, and Thai chili peppers. Stir and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the chicken is done.
- Serve with brown or jasmine rice.