Chicken salad with Thai basil and coconut dressing Archive

Ingredients

• 50g/2oz palm sugar
• 50ml/2fl oz fish sauce
• 2 x 400ml/14fl oz cans coconut milk
• 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• ice cubes (optional)
• 8 lime leaves, very finely sliced
• 4 red Thai shallots, peeled, thinly sliced
• 1 red pepper, seeds removed, finely sliced
• 3 small red chillies, finely sliced
• 1 cucumber, cut in half lengthways, seeds scooped out with a teaspoon, flesh julienned
• 1 large bunch coriander, leaves only
• 1 small bunch mint, leaves only
• 1 small bunch Thai basil, leaves only
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp cold water
• 4 square pieces banana leaf, 15cm x 15cm/6in x 6in (available from some Asian grocers)
• 50g/2oz roasted salted peanuts, lightly crushed
• 1 coconut, shell removed, flesh thinly sliced (optional)