| This dish is normally served with rice or noodles. If you choose rice, then set it cooking just before you prepare the curry. For noodles, I normally use hokkien noodles but this is not prescriptive. You will need a large wok, ladle, cutting boards, medium saucepan, good sharp knife, bowls and a wooden spoon. Shuck and slice fine the lemongrass. Keep it in a small dish. Cube the potatoes, put them in the saucepan with cold water and set them to boil on the stove. Keep an eye on them while preparing other items and take them off the heat and drain them once they start to soften. While the potatoes are cooking, halve and slice the onions into a bowl. Peel the lobes of the garlic cluster and chop them finely into small dish. Pour oil in the wok over a double-burner set on high and get it hot. Put the garlic and onions in and partly caramelise the onions, adding the green curry paste about halfway through this operation. Once the onions start to blacken, add both tins of green curry mix. While the wok comes back up to temperature, tip the beans and diagonally cut them into thirds. Chop the mushrooms into thick slices and place them in a bowl. Gut the capsicum and chop it into chunks. Slice the chilli. Once the wok is hot again add the marinara mix and break up the clumps. Wash the coriander, remove the icky bits and chop the rest, root and stem fine and foliage coarse. Add this to the wok, stir it in and with any luck the potato cubes will be ready to add right about now. Watch the wok temperature and if necessary turn the heat down a little – you don’t want to boil. As the temperature comes back up, add the mushrooms and lemongrass. Drain the water from the sliced chestnuts and bamboo shoots and stir the mix. Drain the corn spears, halve them and add them to the mix, turning it again. Grate the lemon skin to produce lemon zest. If you have a suitable grater you can grate directly into the wok, which produces less mess. When the wok threatens to boil, add the coconut milk and turn the heat down. Add the capsicum (adding it this late stops it from going soggy). If you are preparing the noodle version then add them about now and simmer on a low heat until your noodles take up some flavour. How long depends on the type and size of noodle and whether you blanched them first. Or you can serve on a bed of noodles. I normally use medium bowls and serve on a bed of rice. |