Chicken, Coriander and Coconut Soup

Place the onion, garlic, coriander, galangal, ginger, candle nuts, chillies and palm sugar in the food processor and process until you have a fine paste.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy-based saucepan and add the paste.

Gently cook for 10 minutes until the mixture is fragrant and the onion is soft.

Add the stock, bring to the boil then add the sliced chicken and simmer gently until cooked.

Add the coconut milk and the fish sauce. Taste and adjust with more fish sauce if necessary. Simmer uncovered until the soup is hot.

To serve: Place some beansprouts in the bottom of each bowl and ladle over the soup, making sure the chicken is evenly distributed between the bowls.

Garnish with coriander and spring onions and a squeeze of lime juice to taste. Serves 6

Galangal: a rhizome resembling ginger, galangal is an essential ingredient in Thai and many other South East Asian dishes. It can be found fresh at some Asian markets and is readily available frozen, dried or bottled from Asian food stores.

Wine Match: Kemblefield Distinction Chardonnay 2002 – Hawkes Bay Nectarine and grapefruit aromas with hints of butterscotch and creamy vanilla oak, complement the spiciness of coriander, ginger and chillies in the dish. $20-$30