Ingredients
2 tablespoons (40ml) peanut oil
400ml coconut milk
¼ cup (60ml) fish sauce, or to taste
2 tablespoons palm or brown sugar
4 x 180g salmon cutlets
4 birds eye red chillies, halved, seeded (optional)
1 punnet baby corn, halved lengthways
1 bunch (8) snake beans, cut into 3cm lengths
5 limes, one juiced, 4 cheeks
4 kaffir lime leaves, shredded finely
1 cup loosely packed coriander leaves
Rice stick noodles or steamed Jasmine rice, to serve
Chilli paste
3 dried long red chillies
3 Asian shallots or 1 medium red onion, chopped
4 slices ginger or galangal
6 kaffir lime leaves
2 sticks lemongrass, white only, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Recipe by Lyndey Milan
Photography by John Paul Urizar
Method
1. For the chilli paste: Pour boiling water over the chillies in a bowl; stand for 20 minutes or until soft. Drain. Blend or process with remaining ingredients to make a uniform paste. This makes 1½ cups.
2. Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan, add ½ cup of the chilli paste; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar and 100 mls water; stir until the mixture comes to the boil. Simmer, uncovered, for about 3 minutes. Taste for heat.
3. Add the fish, fresh chilli (depending on taste), baby corn and snake beans. Simmer gently, covered, for a few minutes or until the fish is opaque and the corn and beans are tender.
4. Divide noodles or rice between four serving bowls and carefully place a salmon cutlet on top. Taste the curry liquid and season to taste with lime juice, extra fish sauce or sugar if needed. Ladle over the bowls. Sprinkle lime and coriander leaves.
Lyndey’s note: chilli paste can be stored in the fridge for a week. The curry base can be made in advance, but only add the fish and vegetables close to serving.
Wine Match
Riesling