Name: Thai green curry of pink ling, prawns and eggplant
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 4-6
Ingredients: 60 ml (¼ cup) grapeseed oil; 400 ml coconut cream, unshaken; 250 ml coconut milk; 300 ml chicken bone broth (see note); 4 makrut lime leaves, scrunched; 200 gm apple eggplants, quartered lengthways; 200 gm green beans, trimmed and halved on an angle; 600 gm skinless pink ling fillet, pin-boned, cut into 5cm-thick fillets; 12 extra-large tiger prawns, peeled, deveined, heads and tails intact; 60 ml (¼ cup) lime juice; 2 tbsp fish sauce; 1 tbsp finely grated light palm sugar; Steamed jasmine rice and Thai basil, to serve; Green curry paste; 2 tsp coriander seeds; 1 tsp cumin seeds; ½ tsp white peppercorns; 6 long green chillies, stems removed, plus extra thinly sliced to serve; 2 green birdseye chillies, stems removed; 3 spring onions (100gm), coarsely chopped; 5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped; 4 coriander roots, cleaned and soaked in cold water to remove grit; 1 lemongrass stalk, white part only, thinly sliced; 10 gm peeled galangal, chopped; 10 gm peeled turmeric, chopped; 1 tsp Thai shrimp paste (Kapi; see note); Finely grated zest of 1 makrut lime; 125 ml ((½ cup) grapeseed oil; Pickled shallots; 125 ml (½ cup) rice wine vinegar

There’s an understandable temptation to reach for a jar, but a homemade green curry paste transforms this dish from weeknight dinner to something memorable. Fresh turmeric, spring onions, galangal and makrut lime create a paste that’s brighter and more nuanced than any shortcut can offer. Simmered with pink ling, tiger prawns and creamy coconut, the result is a fragrant curry that rewards every extra minute spent at the blender.

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Ingredients

60 ml (¼ cup) grapeseed oil

400 ml coconut cream, unshaken

250 ml coconut milk

300 ml chicken bone broth (see note)

4 makrut lime leaves, scrunched

200 gm apple eggplants, quartered lengthways

200 gm green beans, trimmed and halved on an angle

600 gm skinless pink ling fillet, pin-boned, cut into 5cm-thick fillets

12 extra-large tiger prawns, peeled, deveined, heads and tails intact

60 ml (¼ cup) lime juice

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp finely grated light palm sugar

Steamed jasmine rice and Thai basil, to serve

Green curry paste

2 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp white peppercorns

6 long green chillies, stems removed, plus extra thinly sliced to serve

2 green birdseye chillies, stems removed

3 spring onions (100gm), coarsely chopped

5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

4 coriander roots, cleaned and soaked in cold water to remove grit

1 lemongrass stalk, white part only, thinly sliced

10 gm peeled galangal, chopped

10 gm peeled turmeric, chopped

1 tsp Thai shrimp paste (Kapi; see note)

Finely grated zest of 1 makrut lime

125 ml ((½ cup) grapeseed oil

Pickled shallots

125 ml (½ cup) rice wine vinegar

55 gm (¼ cup) caster sugar

2 star anise

3 red shallots, thinly sliced into rounds

Method

For green curry paste, dry-roast coriander and cumin seeds in a small frying pan until fragrant (30 seconds). Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool. Transfer to a spice grinder with white peppercorns and grind to a fine powder. Transfer spice blend to a high-speed blender with remaining ingredients and 1 tsp fine salt and blend to a smooth paste. Set aside.

For pickled shallots, stir vinegar, sugar, star anise, ½ tsp fine salt and 180ml water in small saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; add shallots and stand to cool and pickle. Drain before using. Pickled shallot will keep refrigerated in an air-tight container in pickling liquid for 2 weeks.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add curry paste and the head of coconut cream skimmed from top of can (reserve remaining coconut cream) and stir until fragrant and oil separates (12-15 minutes). Add coconut milk, bone broth and lime leaves, and simmer over low heat for flavours to develop (10 minutes).

Add eggplant and beans to curry, then bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Add fish and prawns and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until just cooked (3-5 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in lime juice, fish sauce, palm sugar and remaining coconut cream. Discard lime leaves.

Divide rice and curry among bowls and serve topped with pickled shallots and Thai basil.

Note

We’ve used chicken bone broth to add depth of flavour to this quick-cooking curry. You can use fish or shellfish stock if preferred. Thai shrimp paste is available at Asian grocers

Maxwell Adey Senior Food Editor & Stylist

Maxwell has always been passionate about food. Born into a restaurateur and award-winning produce farming family, he was strongly steered into pursuing a career in advertising after completing his Bachelor of Public Communication at University of Technology, Sydney. After a very short stint, he decided to enrol in Commercial Cookery at TAFE to follow his true passion. Maxwell started out working in some of Sydney’s finest restaurants (Est., Claude’s and Moon Park) which helped further his love of all things culinary and developed his technical ability to cook. Later, he was lured into the magical world of food publishing where he freelanced for ten years for notable Australian commercial and editorial brands. He has also run his own business where he sells his marinated olives, dressings and sauces at food markets and select retailers. He excitingly joins the Gourmet Traveller team to bring his technical and creative expertise in food to the brand.

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