recipe: thai red curry

this is, after way too much trial and error, probably the best thing i'm capable of making these days. it's difficult to get right at first - i had a lot of issues with not getting the oil to separate correctly. as mama says, it is easy when you know how. i should point out that this makes what is, for most people, a staggeringly hot curry. cut the chili numbers in half if you are unsure of your capacity for really, really spicy food. miranda, i hope you try this out - it's leagues better than what i made in asheville.

paste:
2T finely chopped up lemongrass
1 golfball knob galangal, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3-4 small shallots, peeled
20 - 30 little fresh thai hot peppers (green or red) destemmed
OR
10 long-ish dried thai hots - deseeded!!! also rehydrated and drained
pinch coarse salt

save galangal and lemongrass offcuts (skins and stems). using a food processor or blender, reduce to a textured pulp. you might need to add ~1T stock - try not to add much liquid.

stock:
1/2 - 1C stock (chicken? vegetable?)
offcuts from the galangal and lemongrass

boil together for ~10 minutes, set aside to steep. strain prior to use.

assembly:
1 ~400ml can unhomogenized coconut milk (chaokoh or mae ploy work great - please avoid american brands, they're vastly overpriced and not oily enough)
1-2T coconut oil
1-2 T palm or brown sugar
2-3 T fish sauce

you absolutely must not shake the coconut milk. in fact, make sure to use a can that's been sitting in one position for awhile. open the "bottom" - pour off the coconut water on top into stock. heat coconut cream - there should be a good amount (1/3 to 1/2 the can) with the coconut oil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. a wok works best for this process. the amount of coconut oil you add is really to taste - the hotter the curry, the more oil you should add to coat the mouth. the goal is to "crack" the cream - render out the oils from the solids. it'll stick easily, be careful. don't scorch the solids. it should take about 7 - 10 minutes. this step is what separates the real thing from thin and insipid americanized curries. when fully separated - it looks somewhat like a pile of very greasy ricotta sitting in a pool of clear oil - add the paste. cook, still stirring, until nicely fragrant and slightly darker. add 1T sugar and stir for another minute. add 2T fish sauce and, again, stir for a minute. add stock / coconut water mixture until diluted to taste. set heat to medium.

finish:
~1lb deep-fried tofu cubes or ~1/2lb lean animal protein
1 cup vegetable of choice
1 handful thai basil
1/4 of a lime, juiced
two kaffir lime leaves, cut into very very very thin strands

this part is much more free-form. add protein and vegetables to gently simmering curry in such a way that they'll all be cooked at the same time - make sure they're cut in bite-size pieces. you're on your own with this. it shouldn't take long, no matter what. to finish, squeeze in lime juice, add kaffir lime leaves and adjust seasoning. more sugar? fish sauce? etc. garnish with thai basil, artfully torn or cut.

as a variation, add meat during paste-frying process. if it's medium-quick cooking, i like doing it this way. but not with shrimp or anything that barely needs cooked.

serve over rice (i'm working through a 25lb bag of sticky rice) - three regular portions or two and some leftovers.

tonight's curry happens to be tofu and green pepper...