Chefs Binge · Thai · Serves 4 portions

Thai Style Fish & Prawn Curry

A Thai friend's fish and prawn curry, built on Khanom Jeen Nam Ya. The white fish is blended into the coconut milk to make the base, which thickens the sauce without flour and gives it a savoury depth you cannot get by poaching fillets. Prawns go in whole near the end, with potatoes, spinach and rice noodles. Cod, haddock, pollock or coley all work.

Prep

25 min

Cook

35 min

Total

1 hr

Serves

4 portions

Per serving

500 kcal

Ingredients

For the fresh curry paste (or use 3 tbsp shop-bought red curry paste)

4 stalks Lemongrass - outer layers removed, roughly chopped

50 g Galangal - peeled and sliced

6 Kaffir lime leaves - fresh or frozen, torn

10 g Thai red chillies - adjust to your heat

1 head Garlic - cloves peeled

1 tsp Shrimp paste - leave out for a pescatarian version and add an extra splash of fish sauce

For the Curry

300 g White fish - cod, haddock, pollock or coley, skinned, boned and roughly chopped

200 g Raw king prawns - You can use frozen ones

800 ml Coconut milk - 2 x 400 ml tins, full fat

3 tbsp Red curry paste

450 g Potatoes, medium sized - peeled and diced

1 Carrot, large - (150 g) peeled and sliced

50 g Spinach - a good handful

½ Lime, juice only

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Fish sauce - to taste, and worth having

Garnish

Fresh coriander

Chilli flakes

Sweet chilli paste

To Serve

240 g Rice vermicelli noodles

Equipment

Blender or Food Processor · Large Saucepan or Wok

Method

Prepare Curry Paste. Blend the lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, chillies, garlic and shrimp paste to a rough paste, adding a splash of water if it will not catch. Skip this step entirely if you are using shop-bought red curry paste.

Prepare the Fish-Coconut Blend. Put the roughly chopped white fish into a blender with half the coconut milk and blend completely smooth. Give it a full minute and scrape the sides down once. Any flecks of fish left behind read as stringy bits in the finished sauce.

Cook the Curry Paste. Heat a little oil in a large saucepan or wok over a medium heat. Add the curry paste and fry for a minute or two until it smells fragrant. Do not skip this: paste stirred straight into liquid keeps a raw edge no matter how long you simmer it afterwards.

Add the Fish-Coconut Mixture. Pour the blended fish and coconut mixture onto the fried paste and stir well so the paste is evenly through it.

Simmer the Sauce. Stir in the rest of the coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until it thickens slightly. Keep it at a lazy simmer rather than a boil, because coconut milk splits at a rolling boil.

Cook the Vegetables. Add the diced potatoes and sliced carrots to the simmering sauce. Cover and let it simmer for approximately 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

Add Prawns. Once the vegetables are cooked, add the king prawns to the curry. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the prawns are pink and fully cooked. Be cautious not to overcook them.

Add Spinach. Fold in a handful of fresh spinach right before you're ready to serve. The residual heat will wilt the spinach without overcooking it.

Final Seasoning. Taste and adjust. Add the fish sauce, a good squeeze of lime and salt if it needs it. The lime is the one that matters, as it cuts the richness of the coconut and wakes the whole pan up. If the curry has gone too thick, loosen it with a splash of water.

Serve. Pile the drained rice vermicelli into warm bowls and ladle the curry over. Scatter with fresh coriander and chilli flakes, add a wedge of lime, and put the sweet chilli paste on the table.

Chef’s notes

Do not let it boil. Coconut milk splits at a rolling boil, and this is the single most common thing people get wrong, both while cooking it and when reheating leftovers. Hold it at a lazy simmer where the surface only just moves.
Blend the fish completely smooth. Flecks of fish left in the base read as stringy bits in the finished sauce rather than as pieces of fish. Give it a full minute and scrape the sides down once.
Storing and freezing. The base keeps two days in the fridge and freezes for up to three months, because the fish is part of the sauce rather than added in pieces. Leave the prawns out of anything you are storing and cook them fresh into the reheated sauce, as they are the only part that turns tough on a second heating.

Per serving Calories 500 kcal · Protein 25 g · Carbs 30 g · Fat 30 g · Saturates 20 g · Fibre 5 g · Sugar 5 g · Sodium 200 mg

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