Preparation

• 1
  Peel, halve and finely slice the onion, peel the garlic and then peel and finely grate the ginger. Trim the bottom of the lemongrass stalks, remove any tough outer layers and crush the stems.
• 2
  Deseed the red peppers and the chilli. Slice the peppers into short thin strips. Halve the chilli and cut into fine thin strips.
• 3
  In a large heavy bottomed pan, heat the oil and gently sauté and soften the onion over a low heat for about 5 minutes..
• 4
  Stir in the crushed garlic, grated ginger and the whole lemongrass stalks with the red curry paste then cook gently for just a minute or two.
• 5
  Gradually add and stir in the chicken stock, coconut milk and 2 tablespoons of fish sauce and bring up to a gentle simmer. Allow to simmer for 3 minutes.
• 6
  Meanwhile, slice the chicken breasts, cutting across, into thin strips.
• 7
  Add the strips of chicken, the red pepper and the chilli to the pan, return to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes.
• 8
  Meanwhile, wipe and halve the button mushrooms, cutting any larger ones into slices.
• 9
  Stir in the mushrooms and continue to simmer for about another 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
• 10
  Add the juice of 1 lime and remove the lemongrass stalks. Check the flavouring, adding another tablespoon of fish sauce and the juice of half a lime if needed.
• 11
  Finely chop the coriander, stir it into the soup or scatter it on the top, and serve.