Chicken & Shrimp Curry Chowder

I follow the Eatsy blog over at Etsy and saw Kimberley's post on Summer Shrimp and Corn Chowder. Perfect! I was looking for recipes involving coconut milk since I had apparently decided to hoard Chaokoh coconut milk after seeing it on sale at the local 99 Ranch Market. 88 cents for a can? Gimme a case. I think I've managed to make dessert with coconut milk, fruit and sago, curries, pot de cremes, and the list goes on. Unfortunately, I didn't have all the recipe's ingredients on hand. I was feeling a bit lazy to go grocery shopping so I decided to improvise on whatever was currently in my pantry and refrigerator.

Chicken & Shrimp Coconut Curry Chowder
(Time: 60min, 6 servings)

1lb raw/defrosted shrimp
2lb chicken thighs
1/2 an onion
3/4lb gold yukon potatoes (or red potatoes)
32oz chicken broth
1 (15oz) can of full fat coconut milk
1 (15oz) can of corn (cream of corn is ok too!)
2 tbsp Panang Curry paste
2 tbsp Fish Sauce
1/2 lb of dried spaghetti (1/4 of a 32oz box)
Fried garlic & onions for garnish
Cilantro for garnish

1. Shell the shrimp and dice the chicken thighs in one inch cubes and put them aside.

2. Use a separate cutting board and halve the half onion before thinly slicing them. Wash the potatoes and dice them in half inch cubes.

3. Boil water in a pot for the spaghetti. Break the spaghetti into thirds before throwing them in the pot. Follow the instructions on the package and cook the spaghetti until al dente. Strain and set aside.

4. Lightly drizzle some olive oil into a different pot and turn the stove on high. Once the oil is hot, brown the cubes of chicken. There is no need to fully cook the chicken since we will be simmering it in chowder. Plate the chicken and put them aside.

5. Using the same pot, drizzle some olive oil and saute the onions until they soften. Add the panang curry paste and stir until fragrant.

6. Pour the coconut milk and chicken stock in the pot containing the onion and curry mixture. Cover the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

7. Add the chicken and potatoes before covering the pot again. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through but still firm.

8. Add the shrimp and corn and keep the pot at a simmer for 5 minutes or until the shrimp is pink.

9. Place spaghetti at the bottom of a bowl and top with the chowder. Garnish with cilantro and fried onions and garlic before serving.