Thai Green Curry Chicken
This is a dish of high heat and bright, sharp fragrance. It is not about masking ingredients, but letting the raw bite of the green chilies mellow against the heavy sweetness of coconut.
Don't skimp on the oil separation
The base of this curry is determined by how well you fry the paste. Patience here prevents a raw, floury taste.
- Heavy-bottomed wok or deep skillet
- Mortar and pestle (or blender)
- Ladle
What goes in.
- 1.5 lbchicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 4 tbspgreen curry paste
- 1 can (14 oz)full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cupchicken stock or water
- 3makrut lime leaves, torn
- 1/2 cupThai apple eggplants, quartered
- 1 cupThai holy basil leaves
- 2 tbspfish sauce
- 1 tbsppalm sugar
Oil Separation
Scoop only the thick cream from the top of the coconut milk can into the pan. Cook it until the water evaporates and the oil begins to bead on the surface; only then do you add the paste.
The method.
Fry the paste
Add the thick coconut cream to your wok over medium-high heat. Once the oil separates, add the curry paste and stir constantly for 3 minutes until the aroma is sharp and fills the kitchen.
Sear the chicken
Add the chicken pieces to the paste. Toss until the meat is coated and the exterior is no longer translucent.
Simmer
Pour in the remaining coconut milk and the stock. Bring to a low boil, then add the eggplants and lime leaves. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Season
Stir in the fish sauce and palm sugar. Taste; the balance should be salty, sweet, and spicy.
Finish
Turn off the heat and fold in the holy basil. The leaves should wilt from the residual heat, not boil.
Other turns to take.
Seafood version
Replace chicken with firm white fish or prawns; add them in the last 3 minutes of cooking to prevent overcooking.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If you cannot find holy basil, Italian basil is a passable substitute, though it lacks the peppery edge.
Always use full-fat coconut milk; the 'lite' versions will not separate into oil, leaving you with a thin, watery sauce.
The eggplants soak up the curry broth, so cut them small to ensure they cook at the same rate as the chicken.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why is my curry brown?
The paste likely burned before the coconut milk was added. Keep your heat controlled.
Can I use chicken breast?
Yes, but keep the pieces uniform and reduce the simmer time by 2 minutes to avoid dry meat.
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