Thai Green Curry

Yield: Serves 2

Ingredients
a large bunch of asparagus
1/2 a fresh red chile
1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 pound large shrimp, raw, peeled
1 x 14 ounce can of coconut milk
a handful of snow peas
1 lime

FOR THE GREEN CURRY PASTE:
2 stalks of lemongrass
4 scallions
3 fresh green chiles
4 cloves of garlic
a thumb-sized piece of fresh root ginger
a large bunch of fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
optional: 8 fresh or dried kaffir lime leaves
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce

Directions

1. TO MAKE YOUR GREEN CURRY PASTE: Trim the lemongrass stalks, peel back and discard the outer leaves, and crush the stalks by bashing them a few times with the heel of your hand or a rolling pin.
2. Trim the scallion.
3. Halve and seed the green chiles.
4. Peel and roughly chop the garlic and ginger.
5. Set aside a few sprigs of fresh cilantro, and whiz the rest in a food processor with the lemongrass stalks, scallions, chiles, garlic, ginger, coriander seeds, and lime leaves (if using), until everything is finely chopped - the smell will be amazing!
6. While whizzing, pour in the soy sauce and fish sauce and blitz again until you have a smooth paste.
7. If you don't have a food processor, chop everything by hand as finely as you can - it may take a while but it will be so worth it.
8. TO MAKE YOUR CURRY: Snap the woody ends off the asparagus and discard them.
9. Run the stalks through a string bean slicer, or finely slice them lengthways with a knife.
10. Finely chop the red chile and put to one side.
11. Place a large frying pan or wok over high heat.
12. When it's really hot, add the peanut and sesame oils, swirl them around, then carefully drop in the shrimp.
13. Add the asparagus to your green curry paste and stir-fry for about 30 seconds.
14. Pour in the coconut milk and add the snow peas.
15. Give it all a good stir, bring to a boil, and cook for a few minutes.
16. Have a taste and add a bit more soy sauce if you think it needs it.
17. Push down the lime and roll it around to get the juices going, then cut it in half.
18. Squeeze the juice into the pan - this will give your curry a lovely twang.
19. TO SERVE YOUR CURRY: Pick the leaves off the remaining cilantro sprigs.
20. Serve the curry sprinkled with cilantro leaves and the chopped red chile, and some fluffy white rice.