Ingredients
Favorite Thai seasonings imbue curry flavor and stand in for store-bought curry powder.
Makes: 6 servings
Total time: 3 1/2 hours (low) or 2 1/2 hours (high)
For the curry purée -
2 stalks fresh lemon grass
2 medium onions, coarsley chopped
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 2-inch knob fresh gingerroot, peeled and chopped (1/4 cup)
1⁄4 cup fish sauce
2 jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. grated lime peel
1 can coconut milk or light coconut milk (14 oz.)
For the chicken -
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
12 skinless chicken thighs
(2 1/2-3 lb. total)
1 red sweet pepper, cut into strips
Hot jasmine rice
Snipped fresh basil
Chopped peanuts
Preparation
Remove outer layers from lemon grass, exposing inner purple stalk. Mince lower halves of stalks (you should have about 1/3 cup). Place minced lemon grass in food processor with onion, cilantro, gingerroot, fish sauce, jalapeño, garlic, coriander, sugar, and lime peel. Cover and purée. Transfer purée to a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in coconut milk.
Heat oil in a sauté pan. Brown chicken pieces on all sides, half at a time, in hot oil. Add chicken pieces to slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low-heat setting about 3 hours or on high-heat setting for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Stir in sweet pepper. Cover and cook on high heat setting 15 minutes more.
Serve chicken and sauce on rice; sprinkle basil and peanuts over each serving.
