Cambodian Kampot Pepper Lemon Chicken
Many moons ago I was in Cambodia and visited the horror of the Killing Fields and the Prison which is indescribably tragic. A positive memory is the food. And I was reminded when visiting Lemongrass in Camden years later, though that was also years ago and from what I can see it is still going strong. For Christmas I asked for Cambodian Pepper and here is the first recipe I have cooked with it. It is very simple and using potato flour thickens up the sauce to what I think is a necessary consistency.
INGREDIENTS
4 free range chicken breasts
2 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
1 inch fresh ginger, finely grated
2 cloves garlic, finely grated
1 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp potato flour
Juice of 3 medium lemons
150ml water approx
Put the chicken breasts between two sheets of baking paper and smash them with a rolling pin about 1-2cm thick.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the chicken over a medium high heat. Turn after a couple of minutes or until each side of the breast takes on some colour.
Remove the breasts from the pan and set aside onto a plate.
Turn the heat down a little and add the ginger and garlic. Cook for a couple of minutes before adding the fish sauce and stirring in the potato flour. Squeeze the lemons into the pan and stir with a whisk, adding water so that a sauce is formed. You may need to add more water.
Take a pair of scissors and cut the chicken breasts into strips into the pan.
Sprinkle a teaspoon of Kampot pepper over the chicken, adding more according to how peppery you like it. I tend to sprinkle it more liberally.
Pour the chicken into a serving bowl and generously cover with fresh coriander leaves , chilli to your taste, and more Kampot pepper.
