Darley Street Thai Chuu-Chii (Red Curry)

Title:
Darley Street Thai Chuu-Chii (Red Curry)

Yield:
4 Servings

Categories:
Seafood,
Thai




Ingredients:





          Stephen Ceideburg


    10    White peppercorns


          Mace


     1 ts Thai shrimp paste


     3    To 5 long red dried chillies


     4    Cloves shallots


   1/2    Stalk lemon grass


     1 ts Galangal


   1/2 ts Kaffir Lime Zest


     1 tb Chopped Coriander Root


   1/2 ts Salt


   250 ml Coconut Cream


     2 tb To 3 tb Red Curry Paste


     1 tb Fish Sauce


   1/2 tb Palm Sugar


    24    Coffin Bay Scallops


   125 ml Coconut Milk


     5    Kaffir Lime Leaves


     1 lg Fresh Red Chilli, Julienned


     2 tb Coriander Leaves


          Jasmine Rice






 A colleague who recently visited the Darley Street Thai at its new location


 in Bayswater Road, Kings Cross, described this dish as "exquisite". Though


 the recipe may seem dauntingly lengthy, most of it is simply a long list of


 ingredients for red curry paste, which can be made in quantity and stored


 in a container in the fridge for 3-4 weeks for further use. Frozen kaffir


 limes can be bought very cheaply in good Asian stores, where the rest of


 the ingredients listed should also be avail- able. Grate the limes for zest


 while they are stir frozen.


 


 In a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, grind to a powder 10 white


 peppercorns and a few sheaves of mace. Roast 1 teaspoon of Thai shrimp


 paste by zapping it in a microwave oven or putting it on a little piece of


 foil under the grill.


 


 Put the pepper-mace mixture and the shrimp paste in a blender (David


 recommends a blender but some of us will have to make do with a food


 processor or the mortar and pestle) and add 3- 5 long red dried chillies,


 deseeded, washed and chopped, 4 cloves of true shallots, (or substitute the


 same quantity of Spanish onion), 1/2 stalk of lemon grass, sliced, 1


 teaspoon galangal. peeled and chopped, 1/2 teaspoon kaffir lime zest, 1


 tablespoon of coriander root, scraped and chopped, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and


 a little water. Process to a very fine paste. This may take up to 10


 minutes. Transfer to a storage jar.


 


 In a medium-size pan, boil 250 mL coconut cream over high heat, stirring


 constantly, until the oil separates out, about 3-5 minutes. (If using


 canned coconut cream, don't shake the can -use the solid mass of coconut at


 the top of the can, plus as much of the rest as you need to make up 250mL.


 If it doesn't separate within 5 minutes, add a tablespoon of oil.) Add 2-3


 tablespoons of red curry paste and fry for 5 minutes, stirring, until fra-


 grant. Add 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1/2 tablespoon palm sugar and fry until


 colour deepens. Add 24 Coffin Bay scallops (12 if other dishes will be


 served simultaneously) and 125 mL coconut milk. Check for sweet-sour


 balance. Throw in 5 kaffir lime leaves, shredded, 1 large fresh red chilli,


 julienned, and 2 tablespoons of either coriander or basil leaves. Serve


 with jasmine rice.


 


 From an article by Meryl Constance in The Sydney Morning Herald, 6/15/93.


 Courtesy Mark Herron.


 


 File ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/mmdja006.zip