Chicken breast with spice and coconut

• By Mark Camilleri

Bernard Muscat's wine recommendation: a slightly oaked/unoaked wine - New Zealand Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc (M. Demajo).

For 6 people, you will need:

Six slices of chicken breast, 300ml of coconut milk, four cloves of garlic (peeled and chopped), three spring onions (peeled and chopped), one green chilli (finely chopped), one small piece of fresh ginger, two stalks of lemon grass, a pinch of black peppercorns, the seeds of four cardamom pods, three tablespoonfuls of ground coriander, two teaspoonfuls of ground cumin, two teaspoonfuls of ground nutmeg, one teaspoonful of cloves, two teaspoonfuls of salt, one teaspoonful of turmeric.

Blend the garlic, spring onion, chilli and ginger to a smooth paste. Mix in the spices, salt, lemon grass and ground peppercorns. Make several diagonal cuts across the chicken breasts and marinate them in half of the mixture, in the refrigerator for about two hours. Over a low heat, reduce the remaining half of the mixture until it is a thick sauce. Barbecue the chicken until it is cooked right through, basting with the marinade. Serve it with the sauce to the side or spooned over.