There is a part of me that loves the chaos of this time of year. And although I am not hosting Thanksgiving, my family will be with us for a good part of the week so that means I need a game plan for the pre and post turkey meals. I bet you may be in the same boat.
I have a solution for you with this week’s recipe which is easy to execute, dramatically different in flavor profile from what I’m sure you will be eating on Thanksgiving day and most importantly, completely delicious.
I learned about this recipe for Thai Shrimp Curry from my friend, Christoper who happens to be an amazing chef. In fact, his Lobster Risotto is legendary and we are lucky enough to enjoy a healthy portion of it every summer when he cooks up a batch. Here are just a few of the photos I’ve taken over the years of his delicious rendition of this dish that he labors over to result in absolute perfection…
And while I’m at it, I will just share two photos of the appetizers I have brought to share on the night Chris prepares the risotto. As you know, I looove making appetizers and so one year it was tuna tartare…
And last year it was spicy tuna and avocado served on crispy rice with jalapeno that was sooo yummy although the rice was a little more challenging to prepare and cut into neat squares than I expected!
Keeping to my theme, I sent Chris a photo of this exquisite appetizer hubs and I enjoyed at Da Fiore on a recent trip to Venice and suggested I would like to make this for my appetizer next year. Sicilian Tuna Carpaccio was dressed with a caper sauce that had the most fragrant oregano added to it. Beyond…
Chris and I talk about recipes and ingredients from time to time so I was so happy when he texted me a question about what to substitute for Thai basil (a combo of basil and mint works well). Of course, I had to ask him what he was preparing and he mentioned a Thai Shrimp Curry that was a recipe of Emeril Lagasse. It took me awhile, but I finally looked it up and decided to give it a try.
Guess who said “this is bloggable” after we gobbled it up? Hubs of course, the supreme arbitrator of bloggability (I mean that!).
The recipe is easy. The only challenge is to find a good quality Thai Red Curry Paste. Although I should mention that Emeril provides a lengthy recipe for making your own curry paste at home, but honestly I don’t have time to do that these days and I am happy to take a shortcut from time to time!
I visited H Mart because the recipe calls for Thai basil as well which surprisngly I did not find so I’ve adjusted the recipe to include a combination of chopped fresh basil, mint and the cilantro which are easier to access. Side note, I love wandering the aisles at H Mart and wishing I knew more about all the ingredients! I was bound and determined to find Korean Topokki on this visit which are tubular shaped rice cakes kept frozen that can come with a prepared sauce or without any additional ingredients so you can make a dish at home. I hopefully got the latter, but until I open the bag I can’t be completely certain!
At Whole Foods, I found this brand of Thai Red Curry Paste which is definitely the best I have tasted. It provided a terrific balance of flavor and just enough heat. The paste is a blend of chili peppers, garlic, shallots, salt, lemongrass, sugar, kaffir lime, galangal (root similar to ginger), coriander seeds, cumin and cardamom.
Saute shallots, red pepper and carrot coins until softened. Add garlic and give it a quick stir and then the curry paste, stirring for just a minute to allow it to release its flavors. Then add some fish sauce (I like Red Boat brand), brown sugar and full fat coconut milk. Bring to a simmer and add your shrimp. Simmer until cooked through and then add a mixture of basil, mint and cilantro. Serve over rice.
The original recipe called for shredded carrots but I liked the texture and visual appeal of slicing the carrots into coins. I use my handy ceramic mandolin for that process. I also don’t like to waste food so I did not purchase a full pound of shrimp for just the two of us, but I did make the entire sauce recipe so decided to add some of these Sliced Korean Rice Cakes that Trader Joes used to sell that were taking up space in my freezer. They have a neat texture, a little chewy and add something different to the dish and are just a different shape from to Topokki I bought at H Mart. You can cut back on the protein in the recipe as well if you want and add more vegetables if that’s what you are craving. Heck, the sauce is so tasty (especially if you use the brand of curry paste I mentioned), that you could make the dish entirely with vegetables and that would be amazing.
A quick and easy weeknight dinner that is relatively light on a week of rather heavy eating? Count me in! I’ll probably be making another batch of this next week sometime too. If you make Thai Shrimp Curry, I would love it if you let me know by either contacting me through the website or commenting on this post.
Not the most attractive photo of the finished dish but trust me on this one…
Scroll all the way to the bottom to find the recipe! And of course, wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving.
Until next time…
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Two Years Ago: Marcus Samuelsson’s Caramelized Brussels Sprouts
Three Years Ago: This and That
Four Years Ago: Armenian Cheese and Spinach Phyllo Pie
Five Years Ago: Skillet Roasted Chicken with Preserved Lemons and Olives
Six Years Ago: Quinoa, Spinach and Artichoke Casserole
Seven Years Ago: Dining Review of Myers & Chang in Boston, MA
Eight Years Ago: Armenian Green Beans with Tomato Sauce
Nine Years Ago: Cauliflower Bacon Gratin
This recipe has been modified ever so slightly from Emeril Lagasse via Food Network. Quick, easy and incredibly flavorful, Thai Shrimp Curry is a recipe to have in your back pocket for a busy week. The sauce is so tasty that you could swap out another protein or make the dish entirely with vegetables. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons peanut oil
- 1/2 cup chopped shallots
- 1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips
- 2 medium carrots, cut into very thin coins preferably using a mandolin
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 3 Tablespoons Thai Red Curry Paste (I like Maersi brand)
- 2 Tablespoons Fish Sauce (I like Red Boat brand)
- 2 teaspoons light or dark brown sugar
- 1, 14-ounce can coconut milk (not lite)
- 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 Tablespoons minced basil
- 2 Tablespoons minced mint
- 2 Tablespoons minced cilantro
- Extra cilantro leaves for garnish
- Jasmine rice for serving
Instructions
- In a large wok or saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, bell peppers and carrots and stir fry until beginning to soften, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another minute.
- Add the curry paste and cook, stirring until fragrant, less than 1 minute.
- While continuing to stir, add the fish sauce and sugar, then the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Simmer until thickened slightly.
- Add the shrimp and cook, stirring until pink and just cooked through, turning half way through, about 2-4 minutes depending on the size of your shrimp.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the fresh herbs.
- Serve over rice, garnished with cilantro sprigs.
- Enjoy!
Val – again another fabulous post! I too ‘looove’ making appetizers. Thank you for sharing this delicious-sounding recipe. You never disappoint your readers with your recipes, photos and most importantly stories. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your beautiful family.