Burmese Chicken Curry with Shallot Oil, Lemongrass and Crispy Shallots

Method

1. Cut the chicken legs at the joints into 2–3 pieces and make 2 slashes in the thickest meat. Rub with half the turmeric, half the fish sauce and the salt and marinate in the fridge for 30 min.

   Add in this stepBone-in chicken legs (cut into 2–3 pieces) 500 gGround turmeric 0.4 tspFish sauce 1¼ tspSalt ½ tsp

2. Slice some of the shallots very thinly (1–2 mm), put them in a 20 cm pot with the cold oil and fry over medium heat for 9 min, stirring, until pale golden. Lift them out immediately onto paper towels; they keep darkening after you take them out, and if you wait until they look brown they turn bitter. Keep the oil in the pot, and never let water touch it while hot.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil 6 tbspShallots 3

   medium heat

3. Grind the remaining shallots, the garlic, ginger and lemongrass (outer leaves removed, only the bottom 10 cm thinly sliced) with 1 tbsp water in a mortar or blender to a fine paste.

   Add in this stepShallots 7Garlic cloves 6Fresh ginger 20 gLemongrass stalk 1

4. Reheat the shallot oil over medium heat, add the cinnamon, lightly crushed cardamom, cloves and bay leaf and let them sizzle for 30 sec.

   Add in this stepCinnamon stick 1Green cardamom pods 2Cloves 2Bay leaf 1

   medium heat

5. Add the paste, the rest of the turmeric, the paprika, Kashmiri chilli and shrimp paste and fry over medium-low heat for 18 min. It bubbles at first as the water cooks off, then slowly turns a deep red-brown until the oil separates completely and pools around the paste (the Burmese call this 'si byan'). If it starts to catch, add 1 tbsp water.

   Add in this stepGround turmeric 0.4 tspPaprika 1¼ tspKashmiri chilli powder ¾ tspShrimp paste (belacan) ½ tsp

   medium-low heat

6. Add the chicken skin side down, raise the heat to medium-high heat and turn it for 7 min, until lightly browned and coated in the paste.

   medium-high heat

7. Pour in the stock and the rest of the fish sauce, bring to a bubble, cover and cook over low heat for 35 min. Uncover, raise to medium heat and reduce for 6 min more, until the sauce clings to the chicken and red oil rises again. The meat near the bone must show no pink.

   Add in this stepChicken stock 300 mlFish sauce 1¼ tsp

   low heat→medium heat

8. Remove the whole spices, spoon into bowls and pile on the crispy shallots and coriander. Squeeze lime over just before eating to cut the richness.

   Add in this stepChopped coriander leaves 2 tbspLime, cut into wedges ½