Thai Green Curry

I'm 19 years old, so it's about time I throw my own dinner party with absolutely no help from Mum. I promised my friends a three course meal and I chose to do Jamie Oliver's, Thai Green Curry for the main. I first tried this when Mum put on a dinner party for her friends, they were all commenting on it and saying how fantastic it was so I had a little portion to myself (the perks of being a waitress). It was the best thai dish I'd ever tasted. It was fresh and powerful and a dish I thought I would need many years experience to make..I was wrong.

This recipe may seem daunting due to the overwhelming amount of herbs and ingredients needed, but it's actually dead easy. The handy food processor is the hero to this recipe. You literally chuck in all the curry paste ingredients in, whiz it all up together and you're pretty much there!

Serves 4

Prep Time: 45 minutes 

Cook Time: 20 minutes 

6 spring onions, washed and trimmed 

4 to 6 medium green chilies, seeded and finely chopped 

2 cloves garlic 

1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, peeled and finely chopped 

1 tablespoon coriander seeds, pounded and crushed 

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

1/2 handful lime leaves, torn 

2 lemon grass stalks, trimmed back and finely chopped 

2 good handfuls fresh basil on the stalk 

3 good handfuls fresh coriander on the stalk 

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

4 limes, zested and juiced

16 ounces (two tins) coconut milk 

1 handful chopped pistachio nuts

4 chicken breasts without bone and skin, each cut into 5 large pieces 

Method

- Put all the green curry paste ingredients in a food processor and whizz to a smooth green paste. 

- Marinate the chicken in a little of the paste for 30 minutes, then add a little oil and the chicken pieces to a hot casserole-type pan or wok. Fry for 4 minutes, then add the remainder of the marinade - it will sizzle and spit.

- Stir in the coconut milk, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 8 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Season to taste. The flavour should have a kick but be reasonably mellow - very fresh and fragrant. 

To serve, sprinkle with the pistachios and some coriander leaves and serve with steamed rice or noodles, and chunky coconut, tomato, cucumber and lime relish.

Enjoy! 

Have a lovely weekend x