Sometimes life throws bizarre situations at us. Patrick experienced this in Singapore airport when he saw himself on the television. Turns out his cooking show had made it over to the Far East and it wasn’t long before the staff in the restaurant were piling his plate with all sorts of local deliciousness. One of the dishes was a mouth-watering Singapore laksa - practically a national dish.
Boxes and ingredients are packed in facilities that handles Peanut, Nuts, Sesame, Fish, Crustaceans, Milk, Egg, Mustard, Celery, Soya, Gluten and Sulphites. Due to the war in Ukraine, it has been necessary to substitute sunflower oil with rapeseed oil in some products without a label change. The FSA have advised that allergic reactions to rapeseed oil are rare.
2
Spring Onion
1
Garlic Clove
1
Ginger
½
Coriander
½
Red Thai Style Paste
200
Coconut Milk
½
Chicken Stock Pot
1
Kaffir Lime Leaf
1.5
Peanut Butter
(Contains Peanut May contain Nuts)
½
Lime
3
British Chicken Thighs
2
Egg Noodle Nest
(Contains Egg, Cereals containing gluten)
400
Boiling Water
Boil your kettle. Remove the root and finely slice the spring onion widthways into ½cm discs, separating the white from the green parts. Peel and grate the garlic (or use a garlic press). Peel the ginger using the edge of a spoon and then grate or chop very finely. Roughly chop the coriander.
Heat a splash of oil on medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the whites of the spring onion, the garlic and ginger. After 1 minute add the red curry paste and stir. TIP: Add less if you don't like spice! After another minute add the coconut milk and stir until smooth. Add the chicken stock pot with the boiling water from your kettle (amount specified in the ingredient list), bring to a simmer.
Add the kaffir lime leaf, the peanut butter and a pinch of sugar (if you have some). Roll the lime firmly between the flat of your hand and the work surface. Once you’ve loosened it up, cut it in half and squeeze half the lime juice into the laksa. Simmer gently for 10 mins. Taste the laksa and add seasoning if you think it needs it - salt, black pepper, lime juice, sugar - whatever suits your taste!
Meanwhile, trim any fatty bits from the chicken. Heat a splash of oil in a frying pan on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken. Season with a pinch of salt and a grind of black pepper. Cook for 7-8 mins on each side. Remove to a plate and cover with foil to rest. TIP: The chicken is cooked when it is no longer pink in the middle
After the laksa has been cooking for 10 mins, add in the egg noodle nests. Cook until soft enough to eat, about 4 mins. TIP: The noodles may soak up some of the coconutty liquid. If this is the case, just add a splash of water to get it back to a soupy consistency.
Thinly slice the chicken and add it to the laksa. Serve in big bowls topped with the coriander and the greens of the spring onion.