WAGYU & GREEN PEPPERCORN CURRY WITH COCONUT, SHALLOT & LIME LEAF

This curry is inspired by the pork and green peppercorn dish from Australian chef David Thompson, a master of Thai cuisine. The salad plays an important role in cutting through the curry’s unctuous richness.

— 400 ml (13½ fl oz) coconut milk

— lemongrass trimmings (from making the Spice paste below)

— 4 lime leaves

— 1 tablespoon fish sauce, plus extra to taste

— 800 g (1 lb 12 oz) wagyu intercostals or oyster blade, cut into 3 cm (1¼ inch) cubes

— 2 tablespoons chopped palm sugar (jaggery)

— 100 g (3½ oz) fresh green peppercorns

— 100 ml (3½ fl oz) coconut cream

PICKLED SHALLOTS

— 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) coconut vinegar (see Note)

— 55 g (2 oz/¼ cup) sugar

— 4 red Asian shallots, sliced

SPICE PASTE

— 5 dried red chillies, stems removed, soaked in hot water

— 1½ lemongrass stems, white part only, very finely sliced

— zest of 1 kaffir lime (makrut)

— 8 coriander (cilantro) roots, washed well

— 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground

— 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground

SALAD

— 80 g (2¾ oz/1 cup) shaved coconut, toasted

— 1 handful coriander (cilantro)

— 2 red bird’s eye chillies, halved, seeded and cut into half-rounds

— 4 kaffir lime (makrut) leaves, very finely sliced

FOR THE PICKLED SHALLOTS

Heat the vinegar and sugar, then pour over the shallots in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to cool. The shallots can be pickled for up to 1 week.

TO BRAISE THE BEEF

Place the coconut milk in a saucepan with the lemongrass trimmings, lime leaves, fish sauce, 200 ml (7 fl oz) water and a large pinch of sea salt. Add the beef. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 2 hours, or until the beef is tender, stirring occasionally.

Remove the beef from the poaching liquid and leave to cool on a tray at room temperature. Reserve the poaching liquid.

FOR THE SPICE PASTE

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blitz to a smooth paste; if needed, you can add a little of the chilli soaking water to facilitate blending. Set aside.

FOR THE CURRY

Skim 150 ml (5 fl oz) of oil off the top of the reserved braising liquid and heat it in a heavy-based saucepan. Add the spice paste and cook out over medium heat for 10–15 minutes, or until the paste is no longer raw. Add the palm sugar and cook for another 5 minutes.

Stir in the reserved braising liquid and green peppercorns and cook for 30 minutes. Now add the beef to the curry and cook for 5–10 minutes to heat through. Season with extra fish sauce to taste.

TO SERVE

Place the hot curry in a large wide bowl. Toss the salad ingredients together with the pickled shallots, using the shallot pickling liquid as a dressing. Drizzle the curry with the coconut cream, then top with the salad.

Enjoy with steamed jasmine rice and beer.

SERVES 4 AS PART OF A SHARED MEAL

• COCONUT VINEGAR IS MADE FROM FERMENTED COCONUT WATER AND IS USED IN SOUTH-EAST ASIAN CUISINES.