Thai Red Duck Curry with Pineapple
The art of Thai curries is the way they combine different flavours and textures in the one dish to create a harmonious whole. This dish is a perfect example of that skill; blending sweet, savoury and spicy ingredients with rich coconut milk.
SERVES 4–6
RED CURRY PASTE
15 dried long red chillies
1 tablespoon white peppercorns
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons shrimp paste
5 red Asian shallots, chopped
10 garlic cloves, chopped
2 lemongrass stems, white part only, finely sliced
1 tablespoon chopped galangal
2 tablespoons chopped coriander (cilantro) root
1 teaspoon finely grated makrut (kaffir lime) zest
1 tablespoon peanut oil
8 spring onions (scallions), sliced on the diagonal into 3 cm (1¼ in) lengths
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 Chinese roast duck, chopped into large pieces
400 ml (14 fl oz) coconut milk
450 g (1 lb) tinned pineapple pieces in syrup, drained
3 makrut (kaffir lime) leaves
3 tablespoons chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves
2 tablespoons chopped mint
Soak the chillies in boiling water for 5 minutes, or until soft. Remove the stem and seeds, then chop. Dry-fry the peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and shrimp paste wrapped in foil in a frying pan over medium–high heat for 2–3 minutes, or until fragrant. Allow to cool. Crush or grind the peppercorns, coriander and cumin to a powder.
Put the chopped chillies, shrimp paste and ground spices with the remaining curry paste ingredients in a food processor, or in a mortar with a pestle, and process or pound to a smooth paste.
Heat a wok until very hot, add the oil and swirl to coat the side. Add the onion, garlic and 2–4 tablespoons red curry paste, and stir-fry for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
Add the roast duck pieces, coconut milk, drained pineapple pieces, makrut leaves, and half the coriander and mint. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the duck is heated through and the sauce has thickened slightly. Stir in the remaining coriander and mint, and serve.
Split the chillies then scrape away the seeds with a knife.