serves
4
prep
45 minutes
cook
35 minutes
difficulty
Mid
serves
4
people
preparation
45
minutes
cooking
35
minutes
difficulty
Mid
level
Ingredients
- 3 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
- 2-3 tbsp fish sauce
- Freshly ground white pepper, to taste
- 1-litre coconut milk
- 200 g dried Kanom Jin noodles
- 500 ml (2 cups) peanut oil, for frying
- 2 Thai apple eggplants
- Small handful pea eggplants
- 100 g block just cooked pig’s blood, chopped (see Note)
- 1 whole pickled bamboo shoot, finely sliced
- 1-2 knobs wild ginger, finely sliced
- 3-5 makrut lime leaves
- 1 tbsp soft coconut palm sugar
Curry paste
- 2 tsp coriander seeds, toasted
- 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
- 1 tsp white peppercorns, toasted
- 4 garlic cloves
- 20-30 fresh green Thai bird’s eye chillies
- 2 stalks lemongrass, pale end only, chopped
- 1 small knob fresh turmeric, chopped
- 2-3 large coriander roots, chopped
- 1 tbsp wild ginger, sliced
- 1 fresh makrut lime leaf
- I-2 tsp Thai shrimp paste (kapi)
- 4 small Asian red shallots
- Thai basil leaves, seeded and thinly sliced long red chillies, to serve
Instructions
Remove the skin from the chicken and place the skin in a bowl with the fish sauce and a pinch of ground white pepper.
To make the curry paste, place the spices in a large mortar and using the pestle grind until smooth. Add all the remaining ingredients and pound until a paste forms. Alternatively, use a food processor.
Place 250 ml (1 cup) coconut milk in a wok over medium-high heat and boil until it splits. Add 5 tablespoons curry paste and fry, stirring continuously until the oil reappears. Add the chicken and cook until the oil reappears. Add the remaining coconut milk and simmer until the chicken is just cooked. Remove the chicken, take out and discard the bones, then return the chicken meat back to the curry.
Drop the noodles into a large saucepan of boiling water. Boil for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold running water. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the peanut oil in a saucepan over a high heat. Deep-fry the chicken skin until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towel.
Add the eggplant, pig’s blood, pickled bamboo shoot, wild ginger and makrut lime leaves. Taste and balance the flavour, adding the palm sugar if needed. Reheat the noodles very quickly in boiling water, then divide between bowls.
Spoon over the curry and garnish with sliced chillies, basil leaves and crispy chicken skin.
Note
• Pig's blood is available from Vietnamese butchers and Asian grocers.
This recipe is from Series 2 of airing weeknights at 6pm on SBS. Episodes will be available after broadcast via . Join the conversation #TheChefsLine on Instagram , Facebook and Twitter . Check out for episode guides, cuisine lowdowns, recipes and more!
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
