Spread out the piece of fish in a shallow dish and sprinkle them with salt.

Dry-fry the coconut in a wok over a gentle heat, turning all the time until it is crisp and golden. Transfer the coconut to a food processor and process to an oily paste (this can be moistened with a little of the coconut milk if necessary)

Scrape into a bowl and reserve.

Add the shallots or onions, almonds, garlic and ginger to the food processor.

Cut off the lower 2 inches of the lemon grass stalks, chop them roughly and add to the processor; process to a paste.

Add the turmeric to the mixture in the food processor and process briefly.

Bruise the remaining lemon grass and set the stalks aside.

Heat the oil in a wok.

Add the onion mixture and cook for a few minutes without browning.

Stir in the coconut milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent curdling.

Add the cubes of fish to the wok, along with most of the sliced fresh chilies and bruised lemon grass stalks.

Cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the coconut paste and cook for a further 2-3 minutes only. Do not overcook the fish.

Taste the curry and adjust the seasoning, as required.

Remove the lemon grass.

Transfer to a hot serving dish and sprinkle with the remaining slices of chili.

Garnish with chopped and whole chives and serve over plain boiled rice.