11

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