← Nouns Cooking · Thai

Ingredients

• 450 g firm white fish fillets (cod, catfish or snapper), cut into thin slices
• 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
• 200 ml chilled full-fat coconut milk
• 1 Eggs, beaten
• 1½ tbsp Fish sauce
• 2 tsp Palm sugar, grated
• 1 handful Thai basil leaves (or shredded napa cabbage)
• 4 Makrut (kaffir) lime leaves, very finely shredded
• 1 long red chilli, finely shredded
• 80 ml Coconut cream or cream of coconut
• 1 tbsp Rice flour
• 1 banana leaf cups, or 4 small heatproof ramekins

Method

1. Put the fish, curry paste and 3 tbsp of the coconut milk in a bowl and stir hard in one direction for 2–3 min, until the mix turns sticky and pasty.
2. Keep stirring in the same direction while adding the rest of the coconut milk a little at a time, then the egg, fish sauce and sugar. Stir for another 3–4 min, until it is thick and holds soft peaks; this is what makes it silky.
3. Line the cups or ramekins with a layer of basil leaves and spoon the fish mixture on top, filling them three-quarters full.
4. Steam over boiling water, covered, for 15 min, until set and firm in the middle when pressed.
5. Meanwhile warm the coconut cream with the rice flour in a small pan over low heat, stirring, for 1–2 min until it thickens like custard.
6. Spoon a little cream onto each cup, scatter with lime leaf and chilli, and steam for 2 min more. Serve warm with rice.

Tips

• Taste the raw mix by microwaving a teaspoon for 15 seconds, then adjust the seasoning before you steam.
• Most red curry pastes contain shrimp paste.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Hungry in Thailand Rachel Cooks Thai ImportFood