• 6 free-range or organic chicken thigh fillets, halved
• 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) coconut cream
• 3 teaspoons sea salt
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 375 ml (13 fl oz/1½ cups) coconut milk
• juice of 1 lemon
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
• 5 red shallots, finely sliced and deep-fried until golden

Paste

• 10 long red chillies, deseeded and chopped
• 10 dried long red chillies, deseeded, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes and chopped
• 2 lemongrass stalks, tough outer leaves removed, chopped
• 3 red shallots, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped

For the paste, pound the chillies, lemongrass, shallots and garlic in a mortar with a pestle until you have a fine paste. Or use a blender to process the ingredients, adding a little water if necessary.

Mix the chicken pieces with the coconut cream and salt. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pot and stir-fry the paste for 10 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the chicken and stir-fry for a further 5 minutes, or until the coconut cream ‘splits’. Stir in the coconut milk and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 25 minutes, or until the curry has thickened slightly and a layer of oil has risen to the surface. Season the curry with lemon juice and freshly ground pepper. Sprinkle with fried shallots to serve.