Thai Coconut Chicken Curry

Rinse the jasmine rice in cold water until the water runs clear. Place in a saucepan with 450ml cold water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover tightly, and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to steam, still covered, for 5 minutes — do not lift the lid. Fluff gently with a fork before serving. The rice can sit covered and stay warm for up to 20 minutes while you finish the curry.

Open one tin of coconut milk and scoop the thick cream from the top into a wide, deep saucepan or wok — reserve the remaining liquid. Place over medium-high heat and cook the coconut cream for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until it bubbles vigorously and the oil begins to separate and pool visibly around the edges. This is cracking the coconut cream — the foundation of a properly made Thai curry. The separated oil carries the fat-soluble aromatics of the paste far more effectively than simply adding everything at once, and it is what gives the sauce its glossy, restaurant-quality finish. Add the red curry paste, grated garlic, and grated ginger to the cracked cream and stir-fry for 2 minutes until deeply fragrant and the raw smell of the paste has cooked out completely. Add the bruised lemongrass stalk and kaffir lime leaves and stir through.

Add the chicken thigh pieces to the paste and stir to coat every piece thoroughly. Cook for 3–4 minutes, turning occasionally, until the chicken is sealed on the outside and beginning to colour at the edges — it does not need to be cooked through at this stage. Pour in the reserved coconut liquid from the first tin and the entire second tin of coconut milk. Stir well to combine. Add the red pepper strips. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook uncovered for 18–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and completely tender and the sauce has thickened slightly. To check the chicken is done, cut the largest piece in half — the flesh should be white all the way through with no pink remaining. Add the fish sauce, coconut sugar, and lime juice. Stir through and taste — the sauce should be rich, fragrant, and balanced between heat, sweetness, and the sharp brightness of the lime. Add the baby spinach and stir through for 1 minute until just wilted.

Remove the lemongrass stalk and kaffir lime leaves from the curry — they have done their work and are not pleasant to eat. Tear the Thai basil leaves roughly and stir through the curry off the heat — adding them at the very end preserves their fresh, anise-like fragrance, which is destroyed by prolonged cooking. Taste one final time and adjust with a little more fish sauce for saltiness, lime juice for brightness, or coconut sugar for sweetness. Spoon the jasmine rice into deep bowls and ladle the curry generously alongside or over the top. Garnish with sliced red chilli, fresh coriander sprigs, and a lime wedge. Serve immediately.