Siamese Chicken In Coconut Cream

I've made this recipe from my old Thai cookbook, The Love Of Thai Cooking, many times and I haven't gotten tired of it. It is just that yummy! I purchased the hardbound cookbook in late 1988; it was originally published in 1978 and currently out of circulation.

It's similar to Panang Curry although the method of cooking is a bit different. You can use panang curry paste for the pounded ingredients; add half a tablespoon of peanut butter.

Siamese Chicken In Coconut Cream
adapted from The Love Of Thai Cooking

chicken
1 medium chicken, cut into portions
3 cups coconut milk
1½ tablespoons fish sauce, divided
½ teaspoon makrut lime zest
2 red chiles

pounded ingredients
10 dried chiles, soaked and seeded
1 tablespoon unsalted roasted peanuts
½ teaspoon kapi (dried prawn paste)
4 peppercorns
1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 stalks lemon grass (white part only)
3 small onions
1 teaspoon chopped corieander
5 cloves garlic
3 slices galangal

garnish
a few sprigs of coriander (cilantro)

• In a medium pot, boil chicken, coconut milk, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, and makrut lime zest on medium-low heat for 1 hour. 
• Remove chicken, cover, and set aside. 
• Continue simmering coconut milk until oily and reduced by half. 
• Add pounded ingredients and the remaining fish sauce, if needed, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Return the chicken to the pot together with the red chiles and simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer into a serving dish and garnish with coriander. Serve with steamed long grain rice.