Spicy crab and Thai red curry salmon


Spicy Crab

 

Ingredients


 

4 crabs

2 onions, finely chopped

1 green chili, halved

1 tomato, finely diced

1 sprig curry leaves


 

 

Spices

 

3 cinnamon bark

1 tsp fennel seed

1 tsp cumin seed

1 tsp coriander seeds

2 tbsp black pepper

2 star anise

4 cloves

4 cardamom pods

3 tbsp fish curry powder (available at Indian grocery stores)

2 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp thick soy sauce (for colour)

1 tbsp chili paste

salt to taste

4 tbsp vegetable oil

 

Method

 

Dry roast all the spice ingredients and pound in a mortar and pestle or in a grinder finely.

Mix fish sauce, oyster sauce, thick soy sauce and sugar together in a separate bowl.


Heat oil in wok. Add onions, green chili and curry leaves and fry till golden brown.


Add chili paste and saute till paste is cooked or fragrant. Then add curry powder and chili powder and stir over low heat for about a minute.


Add the oyster sauce mixture into the wok. Stir briskly and add crabs and tomato.


Add 100-200 ml water and salt to taste and cook covered for 15-20 minutes or till crab is cooked.


If more gravy is desired, add more curry powder and water.

 

 

Thai Red Curry Salmon

 

Ingredients

 

4 Salmon fillets

4 shallots, sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 400 ml can coconut milk

300 ml vegetable stock or fish stock


2 tbsp Thai fish sauce (nam pla) or light soy sauce

3-4 tbsp Thai red curry paste

2 tbsp prepared fresh lemon grass

1 tbsp prepared fresh ginger

1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

3 fresh or dried kaffir lime leaves

1 red chili, deseeded and thinly sliced (optional)

175 g fine or flat rice noodles

salt and freshly ground black pepper

fresh coriander sprigs, to garnish


Method

 

Put all the ingredients, except for the salmon and noodles, into a wok or very

arge saucepan. Heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

 

Put the noodles into the wok or saucepan and stir gently. Lay the salmon fillets

on top and cook over a very low heat for about 10 minutes, covered with a lid or a piece of foil, so that the salmon steams gently.

Check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. Ladle the broth into warmed serving bowls and garnish with sprigs of fresh coriander.

 

 

Baked Mackarel with Sichuan Pepper

 

Ingredients

 

1 mackerel (500g-600g)

2 tbsps salt (for rubbing and cleaning the fish)

2 tsps sea salt

2 tsps Sichuan peppercorn

½ tsp ground white pepper

½ a lemon

1 tbsp butter

½ Tbsp soy sauce

 

Method


 

Clean and wash the mackerel, then rub it with two tablespoons of salt. Wash off the salt with water and pat dry thoroughly with kitchen paper.

Make two shallow incisions at the back of the mackerel, then another two deep incisions each on both sides of the body.


Rub the mackerel all over with two teaspoons of sea salt and white pepper; insert the Sichuan peppercorns in the incisions, put aside for 15 minutes.


Preheat oven at 220 ºC, place a piece of foil on a baking dish and lay the mackerel on the dish in an upward position (make a deep cut at the belly bottom so that the fish can sit nicely on the dish). Apply the butter gently all over the mackerel, and bake it at 220 ºC for 10-15 minutes (bigger and thicker fish require s longer time but it should not be more than 15 minutes).


Remove the Sichuan peppercorn from the mackerel and pour ½ tablespoon soya sauce on top of the fish then squeeze the lemon juice all over the fish before serving.



Tips


1. Black peppercorns can be used instead of Sichuan peppercorns.



2. You can serve the fish with a cucumber salad with yoghurt dressing (four tablespoons of yoghurt mixed with one tablespoon lemon juice, a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of ground fresh cashewnuts).


 

 

Leave a comment
FACEBOOK TWITTER