Thai green chicken curry

Put 225g new potatoes, cut into chunks, in a pan of boiling water and cook for 5 minutes.

Add 100g trimmed and halved green beans and cook for a further 3 minutes, by which time both should be just tender but not too soft. Drain and put to one side.

In a wok or large frying pan, heat 1 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil until very hot, then drop in 1 chopped garlic clove and cook until golden, this should take only a few seconds. Don’t let it go very dark or it will spoil the taste.

Spoon in 1 rounded tbsp Thai green curry paste and stir it around for a few seconds to begin to cook the spices and release all the flavours.

Next, pour in a 400ml can of coconut milk and let it come to a bubble.

Stir in 2 tsp Thai fish sauce and 1 tsp caster sugar, then 450g bite-size chicken pieces. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 8 minutes until the chicken is cooked.

Tip in the potatoes and beans and let them warm through in the hot coconut milk, then add 2 finely shredded lime leaves (or 3 wide strips lime zest).

Add a good handful basil leaves, but only leave them briefly on the heat or they will quickly lose their brightness.

Scatter with lime to garnish and serve immediately with boiled rice.