11

(Steven Felgate) #1

100 gm skinless fi rm white
fi sh, such as snapper,
cobia or kingfi sh
1.125 litres (4½ cups) chicken
stock
250 gm green papaya, peeled,
quartered lengthways and
cut into large pieces
125 ml (½ cup) tamarind
concentrate
85 gm (¼ cup) soft palm sugar
60 ml (¼ cup) fi sh sauce


GAENG SOM


Sour orange fi sh curry


SERVES 8 // PREP TIME 30 MINS // COOK 20 MINS


“I think gaeng som is my mum’s favourite curry,” says Anderson. “I became aware of just how
much she loves it when, during a holiday to Thailand after not having been back for many years,
she ordered this dish at every meal. In Thailand they usually serve curries and soups in a ‘mor
fai’ – a sort of aluminium hotpot lit with a gas burner or candle. It keeps the curry hot-hot-hot
and mouths burning-burning-burning, but that’s the way Thais like it. It took me a long time to
appreciate this as a kid – most of the time it was too hot and spicy for me to enjoy. But now,
as an adult, the merits of eating spicy food at hot temperatures in humid conditions is totally
something I’m into. Detox! This curry paste makes three times what you need, but it will keep
for a month in the freezer.”


1½ tbsp dried birdseye chillies,
coarsely chopped
50 gm red shallots, coarsely
chopped
50 gm wild ginger (see note),
coarsely chopped
1¼ tbsp shrimp paste

1 For curry paste, add
ingredients to a mortar in order
of toughness starting with
turmeric, then chillies, shallots,

ginger and shrimp paste,
pounding until a paste. Keep
⅓ cup curry paste in mortar;
the remainder can be frozen.
2 Poach fi sh in a saucepan of
simmering water over medium
heat until fi rm (5 minutes), then
cool. Add fi sh to reserved curry
paste and pound with a mortar
and pestle to a fi ne paste.
3 Add stock and fi sh paste to
a small saucepan and bring the
boil, stirring, over medium heat.
Add papaya, tamarind, sugar,
fi sh sauce and 2 tsp salt, and
simmer until papaya begins to
turn translucent (12-15 minutes).
Add prawns and simmer until
opaque (3 minutes). Add lime
juice, seasoning to taste, and
serve with steamed rice.
Note Wild ginger, also known
as krachai or Chinese keys,
is available from Thai grocers.
Wine suggestion Off -dry, tangy
chenin blanc. ➤

40 gm lard or sunfl ower oil
425 ml canned coconut cream,
unshaken
250 ml (1 cup) coconut milk
1 whole chicken (1-1.5kg),
cut into 12 pieces
250 ml (1 cup) chicken stock
75 ml fi sh sauce (or to taste)
2 tbsp soft palm sugar
10 apple eggplant (see note),
quartered and placed in
acidulated water (see
cook’s notes p168)
3 long green silken Thai
eggplant (see note), cut
into 4cm chunks and
placed in acidulated
water
1½ cups pea eggplant (see
note), trimmed and placed
in acidulated water
15 makrut lime leaves,
deveined and torn


GAENG KEOW WAN GAI


Green curry of chicken


SERVES 6-8 // PREP TIME 1 HR // COOK 1 HR 20 MINS


“We make this a lot at home when there’s any feasting or celebrating to be done,” says Anderson.
“It’s still one of the most popular curries at the restaurant, for good reason – it’s as comforting and
soothing as any chicken soup, but with a kick and warmth that really invigorates. Always make
a big pot, it can be portioned and frozen. For most of these recipes, as in most Thai cooking,
you will need a mortar and pestle; it’s probably my most used piece of equipment at home. It’s
worth investing in a stone one that can fi t at least a litre.”


4 long red chillies, whole or
thinly sliced (optional)
2½ cups (loosely packed) Thai
basil, with fl owering tops
Steamed jasmine rice or
fermented rice noodles
(see note), to serve
GREEN CURRY PASTE
10 white peppercorns,
dry-roasted (see cook’s
notes, p168)
2 tsp coriander seeds,
dry-roasted
1 tsp cumin seeds,
dry-roasted
6 gm (1cm piece) galangal,
thinly sliced
Peeled zest of 1 makrut
lime, coarsely chopped
1 lemongrass stalk, white
part only, thinly sliced
4 red shallots, coarsely
chopped

10 long green chillies,
coarsely chopped
15 green birdseye chillies,
coarsely chopped
1 head of garlic, cloves
coarsely chopped
5 coriander roots,
coarsely chopped
1 tsp shrimp paste
½ cup birdseye chilli leaves
(optional; see note)

1 For curry paste, fi nely grind
spices with a mortar and pestle.
Add remaining ingredients in
order of toughness with ½ tsp
salt, pounding them to a paste
(alternatively, blend in a food
processor until smooth, but the
mortar and pestle will give you
better colour and fragrance).
2 Heat lard in a large wok or
saucepan over medium heat.

Add curry paste and the head
of coconut cream skimmed from
top of can, and stir until fragrant
and oil separates (12-15 minutes).
Add coconut milk and simmer
over low heat until thickened
(30 minutes). Increase heat to
high, add chicken and stock,
cover with a lid and simmer,
stirring occasionally, until
chicken is cooked and fl avour
deepens (30 minutes). Add
fi sh sauce, seasoning to taste,
and stir in palm sugar and
remaining coconut cream.
3 Increase heat to medium,
then drain eggplant, add to
wok, and simmer until tender
(5 minutes). Remove from heat,
stir in lime leaf, chilli and basil,
and serve with rice.
Note Apple, green and pea
eggplant are available from
select Asian and Thai grocers.
Substitute purple Japanese
eggplant. Fermented rice
noodles, or kanom jeen, are
available from select Asian
grocers. Substitute rice or
somen noodles. If you have a
chilli plant, add some leaves to
the curry paste.
Wine suggestion Rich, textural
orange wine.

16 green king prawns,
peeled, deveined, heads
and tails intact
2 tbsp lime juice (or to taste)
Steamed rice, to serve
CURRY PASTE
30 gm fresh red turmeric,
coarsely chopped
5-7 dried long red chillies,
soaked in cold water
(10 minutes) and
coarsely chopped

GOURMET TRAVELLER 115
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