Black Pepper Chicken

Or Kai Tod Kratium Prik Tai if you prefer...

This is a nice little Thai number, quite subtle (a shame for those who like their Thai food reeking of nam pla - I don't) and yet warm and gingery. It's nicer if you use chicken breasts with skin on and fry them over a higher heat skin-side down to start. If not, don't fret - it's still nice!

Halve the quantities and serve it up sliced alongside a duck or lamb and baby tomato red curry, something beefy (stir fried in spice, onion and pak choi) and some vegetable noodles and a sticky rice steaming on the table for a nice mixed main course if you want to be deadly flash!

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts
• 4 tsp roughly crushed black pepper
• 2 sticks lemongrass, sliced finely
• 4 cm fresh ginger, grated
• 4 cloves garlic, grated
• 4 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 4 tbsp white wine
• 1 tsp fish sauce (nam pla)
• ½ cup coriander leaves, chopped
• ½ red chilli, deseeded & chopped

With the lemon grass, you're only slicing up the fleshy bulb end of the stick, don't bother with the reedy top end. Roll the raw chicken breasts in the crushed black pepper to coat them. Mix the other ingredients in a bowl, then pour this mixture over the chicken breasts. Leave the chicken breasts to marinate for at least an hour, ideally longer, then pan fry them over a medium to high heat, basting with marinade and turning after 5-6 minutes and cooking to finish for about the same time. Take off the heat, cover and leave stand for a further 4-5 minutes to relax before serving.

Serve, sliced to present, with rice and a crunchy, Thai-spiced salad or take the 'flash' option above and serve it up as part of a mixed Thai main course!