Apricot Chicken Recipe and Red Curry Paste

Ingredients:
4 apricots (stoned and peeled)
1 tablespoon apricot preserves
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 lime (juice and zest)
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1 pound chicken breast (cut into bit sized pieces)
6 apricots (stoned and peeled and cut into bite sized pieces)
1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)
1 red chili (sliced)

Directions:
1. Puree the apricots, apricot preserves, fish sauce, lime juice and zest in a food processor.
2. Heat the oil in a pan.
3. Add the red curry paste and saute for a minute.
4. Add the chicken and the apricot sauce and simmer until the chicken is cooked, about 6-10 minutes.
5. Add the apricots and simmer for a minute.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro.
7. Serve on coconut jasmine rice and garnish with sliced red chilies.

Red Curry Paste

adapted from The Big Book of Thai Curries by Vatcharin Bhumichitr

Ingredients:
10 dried red chilies (toasted)
1 kaffir lime (or lime, juice and zest)
4 tablespoons shallots (chopped)
3 tablespoons garlic (chopped)
2 tablespoons galangal (or ginger, chopped)
2 tablespoons lemongrass (peeled, lower 2 inches)
1 tablespoon cilantro root
1 teaspoon white peppercorns (toasted and ground)
2 teaspoons coriander seeds (toasted and ground)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (toasted and ground)
1 tablespoon shrimp paste

Directions:
1. Soak the dried red chilies in the lime juice for 30 minutes.
2. Mash everything with a mortar and pestle or puree everything in a food processor.