This year more than most, Spring and Winter have fought hard and often over who’s turn it is to steer the wind and wreak the seasonal havoc.
Tonight, Winter wins again.
It’s a bitter pill to swallow for Plantsman and Commutermaid, who decidedly operate with more efficiency and aplomb under the gentler countenance of the recently defeated but sure to rebound Spring. To be sure, one could attempt to drown one’s frozen sorrows in a hot, sweetened coffee with a shot of bourbon, however, the occasion really calls for something more substantive – say a good chili or shepherd pie.
Or, when the beef’s locked in the freezer and there’s naught left but leftovers, it could be a hot little curry that melts the long Winter of your discontent.
Texas Thai Curry
Ingredients:
→ 3 tablespoons olive oil
→ 2 cups diced chicken thighs, cooked pork loin or (God willing) fresh Gulf shrimp
→ 1 cup sliced mushrooms (shitake if you got ‘em)
→ 2-4 tablespoons red Thai curry paste
→ 1/2 to 1 cup chopped shallots or onions
→ 2-4 big, fat garlic cloves, minced
→ 2 Serrano or equivalent hot peppers, minced
→ 1 large (25-ounce) or 2 medium cans good-quality coconut milk
→ 1 small can sliced pineapples or the equivalent amount of fresh (or try mangoes or some other fruit experiment)
→ 1 can sliced water chestnuts or bamboo shoots
→ 2 tablespoons fish sauce
→ 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
→ a dash of Chinese 5-spice
→ 1/3 cup fresh chopped Italian parsley, cilantro or oregano
→ the juice of 1 fresh lime
Method:
→ Open the can(s) of coconut milk and separate out about 1 cup of coconut cream (the thick stuff at the top of the can) for later use. Pour the rest in a heavy pan. If using uncooked chicken, boil meat in coconut milk for 40 minutes. For pre-cooked pork or shrimp, simmer meat in coconut milk on low until heated through.
→ Heat oil in wok or large, heavy pan. Add onions or shallots, garlic and hot peppers and saute for 4-5 minutes on medium-high heat.
→ Add curry paste. Good Thai curry paste is hot! so adjust the amount based on the preferences of your diners. But for authentic curry, more paste is better. Use the curry paste as if it were roux – stir it in among the softened onions until it, too softens. Then add the mushrooms, cardamom and Chinese 5-spice and stir.
→ Add the coconut milk that you used to cook the meat, about a half-cup at a time, stirring constantly. Then add the meat and mix well, stirring until sauce thickens a bit.
→ Add the water chestnuts or bamboo shoots. Turn the heat down to low, add the fish sauce and stir.
→ Add the parsley or cilantro, the lime juice and the coconut milk and stir well. Turn the heat to its lowest setting, cover the pot except for a small opening to allow steam to escape.
→ While flavors are blending in the curry, make some rice, noodles or bulgar wheat to accompany the meal.
Serve over whatever you made in the last step and, if possible, include ice-cold Singha malt liquor.
I believe you’ll find that Spring is just around the corner.
