I’ve had “Cookwise” by Shirley Corriher on my Cookbooks I Want list for quite awhile. It’s as much cooking textbook as it is cookbook, but I’d been hesitant to buy it because of the price. Amazon has it now for $20, but I’m glad I held out. I found a copy at the flea market for $10.

Anyway, we tried a recipe out of it tonight: Hot Thai Curried Chicken with Coconut Milk and Avocados. Let me tell you, Shirley’s not kidding when she says this is hot. I cut the amount of curry paste by half, and holy Hannah it was warm. The taste was great, and I didn’t break a sweat eating it, but I think it would be a more pleasant experience with a little less heat. The following recipe cuts the amount of curry paste to what I’m guessing will be a manageable amount. I had to cook the chicken for longer than the recipe suggested, but I’ve left the suggested time in this version. Just check the chicken before you serve it up.

Hot Thai Curried Chicken with Coconut Milk and Avocados
2 teaspoons oil
1-2 tablespoons curry paste
4 cans (13.5 ounces each) coconut milk
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup chicken broth
8 boneless chicken breast halves
2 avocados

Mash oil and curry paste together in a large wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add a few tablespoons coconut milk and continue stirring to thin curry paste. Add more coconut milk and stir together well. When curry paste is well blended in, add the rest of the coconut milk and turn heat up to medium-high to bring to a boil. Add sugar and chicken broth. Boil vigorously for a minute, then turn down slightly to a gentle, steady boil to reduce. Boil gently, stirring frequently, and reduce to about 3 cups of noticeably thicker sauce. Even in a large wok, this reduction will take about 30 minutes — longer if you don’t keep it at a slow, steady boil.

Cut chicken breasts across the grain at a slight angle into 1/2-inch slices. When sauce is reduced, add chicken breast slices and bring back to a boil. Turn heat to medium, simmer 2 minutes and remove from the heat. Let stand uncovered in the hot wok about 4 minutes to finish cooking.

Meanwhile, peel and slice the avocados. Arrange the slices over the botton of a serving platter. Pour the chicken and sauce over the avocados. Serve hot over rice.