Instructions: Cut and discard the root tip of the garlic cloves but leave the skin on. Do likewise with the shallots. Place both on a tray in a toaster oven (or oven) and roast at 400 to 450 degrees until softened (about 10 to 15 minutes for garlic and 20 to 30 minutes for shallots, depending on the size of the cloves and heads).

In the meantime, trim and discard the bottom tip and loose outer layer(s) of the lemon grass. Cut the stalk into very thin rounds, then chop. Mince the galangal ginger and cilantro roots (or stems).

In a small dry pan, toast the coriander seeds over medium heat until they are aromatic and dark brown, stirring frequently. Do likewise with the cumin seeds. Follow with the dried red chilies, stirring constantly until they turn a dark red color and are slightly charred. Grind the toasted ingredients in a clean coffee grinder to a fine powder.

Using a heavy mortar and pestle, pound the lemon grass, galangal and cilantro roots (stems) until they are reduced to a paste. Peel the roasted garlic and shallots and mash in with the mixture until well blended. Then add the ground toasted ingredients, plus the nutmeg, cinnamon, mace and shrimp paste. Pound to make a well-blended paste.

Grind the peanuts in a clean coffee grinder or blender as finely as possible. Heat 2/3 cup of the thickest cream from the top of a can of coconut milk in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce a few minutes until thick and bubbly. Fry the spice mixture in the cream, stirring frequently, until it is well mixed with the cream and has fully released its aromas and flavors (3 to 5 minutes).

Add half the remaining milk and the ground peanuts. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer 10 to 12 minutes, stirring well to blend the ingredients. Add more coconut milk as needed to constitute a creamy sauce the consistency of pancake batter. Season to taste with fish sauce, palm sugar and tamarind water to the desired combination of salty and sweet, with a subtle tangy flavor in the background.

Simmer a few minutes more, then transfer to a sauce dish and cool to room temperature before serving with your favorite grilled meats, fish, tofu and vegetables.

Notes and Pointers:
I would like to share with you my favorite recipe for a full-flavored peanut sauce, combining a host of dry spices common in Indian and Indonesian cooking with herbs associated with Southeast Asian cooking. The spices and herbs are cooked with ground roasted peanuts in coconut milk, seasoned with fish sauce, shrimp paste, palm sugar and tamarind. My preferred brand of canned coconut milk for this recipe is Chao Koh. Shrimp paste is a fermented greyish brown concentrate available in small plastic containers from Southeast Asian markets. A small amount of the odiferous paste goes a long way to adding a whole lot of delicious flavor.

To me, a peanut sauce made from peanut butter always will taste like peanut butter. Back in Southeast Asia, when we make a peanut sauce, we always start with whole, freshly roasted peanuts, which we grind and then simmer with other ingredients to give the sauce a fresh taste of roasted peanuts. A peanut sauce made this way tastes lighter than when peanut butter is used and the flavor of the peanuts blends in more intricately with the spice flavors.

If the multitude of ingredients in the recipe makes it seem too complicated, please feel free to simplify the sauce to suit your schedule and taste, by omitting some of the ingredients you may not readily have on hand.

But if you are like me and appreciate a full range of flavors, you will do as I do and make a large batch of the sauce, freezing it in small containers for those afternoons when you feel like grilling some chicken or pork, or even tofu and vegetables. With such a tasty sauce, you wont need to marinate the meat in much of anything, but maybe a sprinkling of salt (or fish sauce) and pepper, and perhaps some curry powder and minced garlic.

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