Recipe - Gai Thom Kha

2 Lemon grass stalk
3 tablespoon Siamese ginger; cut or sliced up
4 Garlic cloves
3 Peppercorns
7 Coriander roots
23 Shallots
4 cup Coconut milk, mediumthick
1 pound Chicken, white; cut or sliced up
5 Red chilies (prik kheenu);
minced
4 tablespoon Nam pla
4 tablespoon Lime juice
5 Krapau leaf; shredded
3 Cilantro sprig; chopped

Wash lemon grass and trim root ends and tough layers. Slice bottom 6 inches
thinly. Chop 1 T. of this. Puree chopped lemon grass, 1 T. of cut or sliced up
ginger, garlic, peppercorns, coriander roots and shallots. Bring 1 cup of
coconut milk to boil and add lemon grass mixture. While stirring, reduce
heat to medium and add chicken, remaining coconut milk, ginger slices and
lemon grass. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered until
chicken is tender. Season with chilies, fish sauce and lime juice.
Decorate servings with lime leaves and coriander sprigs.

To make coconut milk: Blend 2 cups fresh or frozen grated coconut with
water. Strain through double cheesecloth, pressing out all liquid. This is
thick coconut milk. To get hin milk, add warm water to residue from first
straining. Let stand 5 minutes, then press as before.

For coconut cream, refrigerate first pressing and cream will rise to top.
Refrigerate or freeze. Two cups coconut makes 3 cups thick milk, of which
6 tablespoons is cream.

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini