During my few weeks in Chang Mai, my appreciation and taste for Thai curry has increased dramatically. I must share a recipe! And I’ve added several hints below.

Bon appetite! --Laura

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Roasted Duck in Red Curry or “Gang Phed Ped Yang”
(serves 2)

• 1 cup – coconut cream
• 2 tablespoons – red curry paste
• 4 Kaffir lime leaves, torn once or twice
• ~5 ounces - roasted red duck, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 ½ cups – coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons – fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons – palm sugar
• 2 medium (Thai) eggplants, cut into larger, bite-sized pieces
• 10 small (Thai) eggplants, stems off
• 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 6 pieces of pineapple, bite sized pieces
• 2 branch Thai basil, tear leaves
• 2 Jalapeno, seeded and shredded

Pre-prepare ingredients; place them in recipe order.

Place coconut cream into wok or heavy bottomed pan. Place over medium heat, do not stir and let simmer until oil has separated from the cream (the top will get shiny with oil)

Add red curry paste, stir well until fragrant, then add Kaffir lime leaves (tearing releases flavor). Then add the duck.

Mix occasionally and let simmer until meat is tender.

Then add coconut milk, fish sauce and palm sugar.

Next add eggplant, tomatoes, and pineapple. Let simmer until the eggplant is tender.

Lastly, add the Jalapeno and basil and stir until dispersed. Turn off the heat.

Remove the Kaffir lime leaves. Serve with steamed rice or sticky rice.

Yum!
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Notes:

*A run to Uwajimaya or another Asian grocery store would (obviously) yield the ingredients to make this recipe to best effect; you could do it from a “regular” grocery store except that you’d have to do some substituting (i.e. brown sugar – and half it for palm sugar) and you probably couldn’t get Kaffir lime leaves… nor small eggplants nor roasted duck. I do not know of a substitute for the rather necessary Kaffir limes leaves… any suggestions?

*This recipe could be made with chicken, pork, shrimp, white fish or tofu; however, do not use pineapple or tomato, which are intended to balance the duck. Sour fruit i.e. grapes or lychees are good ingredients to add to green curries with other meats.

*You’d need to buy the duck pre-roasted – my cooking school did! If you are going to use another meat, add raw meats when the recipe calls for the duck. If you are going to use seafood, add it just before the eggplant is tender. Hmm… come to think of it, if you are going to use tofu, do that in the wok or pan first. Quickly sear it on high with something for flavor, i.e. garlic and peppercorns…

*If you want your curry to be thick, use less milk.

*Remember that you can adjust the spiciness by using larger Jalapeno peppers (large = mild) or using less. As this is the last ingredient, you can definitely less pepper than the recipe calls for and taste until the right level of spiciness has been achieved.

*A recommended brand for coconut cream/coconut milk is “Mae Ploy.” Do not shake a can of coconut milk before opening and the cream will be separated from the milk – the cream is heavy and can be scooped off the top of the can.

*You should be able to buy green curry paste – but you can make yourself and then you have a wonderful excuse to buy yourself a good pestle and mortar. Hmm… temping. V. tempting.