Post Type ArchivesRecipes

Authentic Thai Red Curry (with chicken)

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Thai red curry with chicken and vegetables, and a bowl of rice

There was this unassuming place close to where I lived two years ago in Paris, near Gare du Nord ; we went there because it was litterally 10 meters away from home, without expecting much.

We both ordered curries, the red kind for me, and the green one for my companion. What a surprise it was ! The usual timid flavour was replaced by a true festival of tastes. I often found my Thaï curries too sweet and too mild ; this one was neither. The sugar perfectly balanced the heat (for once, there was some !), and the fragrant lemongrass and kombava could actually be distinguished.

Thaï curries are complex, thanks to the red curry paste, with flavourful red peppers, sweet shallots, lots of garlic and lemony flavours ; the fish sauce adds a depth of flavour, and the sugar is essential to round out the flavours along with the coconut milk.

If you’re a curry lover, don’t miss out on this ! I’d say this version is fresher and more aromatic than your Indian or Japanese curries, as it relies on fresh ingredients rather than spices to build its flavor profile.

Beware ; this dish can be quite spicy, depending on your curry paste and how much you’re using. If you want it less spicy, do adapt your curry paste if homemade by using less small, spicy chilies, and more large, non spicy chilies. If using store-bought red curry paste, make it milder by adding less curry paste.

Authentic Thai Red Curry (with chicken) – Recipe

Ingredients – Advice & key points

  • Red curry paste :
    • I recommend making your own curry paste if possible. If so, I don’t recommend making it on a weeknight ; make your curry paste over the week-end, for example, then you’ll have plenty to store in your freezer for anytime you feel like curry-ing.
    • If using store-bought, it’s perfectly good too ! My two top picks would be the Maeploy and Namjai curry pastes. The Aroy-D brand is also great, plus it is vegan !
  • You can find red curry paste, kaffir lime leaves (frozen), bamboo shoots (canned), fish sauce and fresh Thai basil at most Asian stores.
  • Don’t let the curry boil once you’ve added all the coconut milk, or it might split ! It should only simmer.
  • Adaptability: This recipe is fully adaptable. 
    • You can use a different veggies, different proteins or no protein at all ; simply adapt the cooking times, especially for veggies, and taste regularly to make sure they don’t get mushy or tough veggies. So if you cannot find Thai eggplants, it doesn’t matter ! Skip it or replace it with Japanese/Chinese eggplant, or courgette, for example.
    • In autumn/winter, a great vegetable option would be to use diced squash ; you can use this veggie only for a low-effort dish, with around 200-250grams for a 4-servings amount.

Let’s get curried away!

Authentic Cacio e Pepe

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Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe

Much like traditional Carbonara pasta, this recipe is an ode to simplicity.

Three ingredients, no more ; that’s all it takes to create something bigger and better than most pasta you’ll eat in your lifetime.

I first had this pasta in Rome, and I hadn’t realized yet the sheer power of Pecorino. That’s where most of the flavour comes from ; all it needs to shine even brighter is some decent black pepper, and properly cooked, quality pasta.

The recipe is exceedingly simple, but demanding at the same time. Be patient ; take the time to grind your black pepper, to grate your Pecorino ; at the very end of the cooking process, do add it little by little, and cautiously eyeball the pasta water level, so that it’s never too much, nor too little.

There’s no one size fits all here, since the amount of water will depend on the Pecorino your use, your pan temperature, the pasta type you use, and so on ; you need to learn this on your own by trial and error. Not to worry though ; there’s no way to completely mess this dish up. Worst case scenario, you’ll end up with an overly thick, slightly lumpy sauce. No biggie.

I truly cannot recommend this dish enough. In terms of effort-to-pleasure ratio, it’s even more glorious than carbonara pasta. All it takes is 20 minutes to eat pasta that will put most westernized Italian restaurants to shame.

Authentic Cacio e Pepe Recipe

The authentic Cacio e Pepe (litterally “cheese and pepper”) consists in pasta -traditionally tonnarelli or spaghetti, sometimes pici- that you drench in a sauce only made of water and Pecorino romano. Some freshly grounded black pepper lift the dish up just right.

Ingredients – Advice & key points

I usually go to Eataly to get the produce I need. If you don’t have one near your location, you can find fresh produce like guanciale and pecorino at your local Italian deli, maybe even your pasta. For pasta, if not available there, you should be able to order it online quite easily.

  • Pasta :
    • While I believe tonnarelli is the best choice for this recipe, and was usually used in restaurants in Rome when I visited, spaghetti is also ideal.
    • What you must not compromise on is using Bronze Drawn pasta. Why so ? Because when processed this way, the pasta will present small irregularities that will enable the sauce to cling to it.
    • You could use fresh pasta if so inclined ; in this case, I’ll 100% recommend making pici, which are a perfect fit for this recipe.
  • Cheese(s) :
    • Very important : Use some aged cheese ! If below the 8 month range, the Pecorino might be overly moist and won’t melt properly.
    • You can stick to Pecorino Romano only, which is the most traditional way. If your Pecorino type is strong, you might use a 70/30 blend with Parmigiano, which will tone down the strong Pecorino flavour. It depends on your Pecorino type ; if it is quite aged, in the 24-36 months range, you might benefit from adding a bit of Parmigiano.
    • Careful ; only add your cheese when your fire is turned off ! Else, your sauce will turn lumpy.
  • Pepper :
    • It is important to use freshly ground black pepper.
    • I personnally use this blend from Roellinger, but you can really use any, except highly fragrant, exotic ones.
    • If you don’t own a mortar and pestle, simply use the bottom of a small pot.

Recipe – What to pay attention to

  • Pasta :
    • Don’t oversalt ! While 10g of salt/liter is usually recommended, here, with the salt from the cheese, you can easily halve this amount.
    • We’ll cook the pasta half of the packet cooking time in water, then in the pan with the peppery water. It is important that you taste several times starting 2 minutes before the theoretical end time, so that you get perfect al dente pasta.
  • Black pepper :
    • You want to toast it once ground, but don’t let it burn or it’ll taste bitter. Once fragrant, it’s already enough.
  • Pecorino :
    • It is very important to thinly grate your Pecorino to that it melts properly. Look at my carbonara picture ; this is the thickest you can get. You can use a microplane or a lime zester, but if you have a kitchen robot with a really thin setting, it will also work just fine and save you the trouble.
    • Do not use pre-grated cheese ! Additives are added to these cheeses so that they don’t clump together, which will prevent it from integrating properly in your sauce.
  • Adding your sauce : Remove your pan from heat at least 20 seconds before adding your sauce, otherwise the eggs might overcook. Then incorporate your sauce progressively.
  • Plating : I highly recommend heating your plates in the oven for 10 minutes at 80°C before plating. This will prevent the sauce from getting cold too quickly and become unappealingly “set”.

Now you’re fully ready to cook a magnificent pasta dish. Off to your kitchen !

If you’re interested in more authentic italian recipes, you can also check my Ragu alla Bolognese recipe.

Quick Green Hummus (with Peas & herbs)

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Green Hummus with chickpeas and green peas, paprika and sumac toppings, next to carrot sticks and triangled pita bread

When I have guests coming over, I often feel overwhelmed ; it then comes down to a choice between either a hassle of time-consuming recipes, or the disappointment of store-bought, ready-made and quite tasteless produce. 

Thankfully, I’m starting to have a nice collection of quick and tasty, crowd-friendly recipes ! This Green Hummus is one of them. 

Aside from the addition of green peas and herbs, I kept this Hummus recipe as authentic as possible, while also making it fuss-free.

Other recipes would advise you to cook dry chickepeas instead of using canned ones, as the taste is better ; or to cook canned ones 20 minutes to make them overcooked, resulting in a softer texture. 

But we all know how time can be a precious, and limited, supply ; so how about a recipe that gives you a truly creamy hummus, within 15 minutes, only using a food processor and not a blender ? 

There are only 3 simple steps in this recipe : 

  • Gather your ingredients. Peel your garlic & remove its germ (3mn) ; 
  • Remove your chickpeas’ skins. Pour your chickpeas in a large bowl filled with water, and stir with your hands, slightly rubbing them as you go without crushing them. This will remove most of the chickpeas’ skins effortlessly ; they will float towards the surface (5mn) ; 
  • Blend your ingredients (7mn).

That’s all ! You won’t go back to store-bought, trust me !

Quick Green Hummus – Recipe

Ingredients, process – Advice & key points

  • If you want to make a classic hummus, simply replace the green peas with more chickpeas, and remove the herbs. 
  • Tahini : This ingredient is key in achieving a creamy, silky texture for your hummus. Many Westernized recipes don’t include enough tahini ; some Israeli ones go as far as putting equal amounts of tahini and chickpeas. Taste as you go, but I recommend at least 4 tablespoons here. 
  • Using ice cubes will help in achieving that creamy texture ! If you don’t have any, just replace them with cold water.

How to serve your Green Hummus

  • Toppings : My favourite toppings for my Hummus are the following :
    • actual chickpeas and green peas,
    • olive oil (most important topping imho),
    • sumac
    • and paprika.
  • What to eat your Hummus with ? Well, for me, it’s always :
    • carrot sticks (their sweetness pairs perfectly with this hummus) ; 
    • and small pieces of pita bread, or any other type of bread available !

But you can definitely get creative and use red bell pepper strips, celery strips, radishes, crackers…

Now let’s apéro ! 

Quick Szechuan Noodles (“Ants Climbing a Tree”)

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Bowl of noodles with ground beef and chili bean paste (doubanjiang) topped with scallions

I know. Why ants ?! Why trees ? Isn’t this name peculiar, and a tad unappetizing ?

Let me tell you why not. First, well, look at the picture. Second : how often do you see “Quick” + “Szechuan” paired together ? Take a look at my spicy Szechuan beef soup and check out the cooking time / the ingredients list. Yup ; these recipes do usually require some time, and some tricky-to-find ingredients.

Now that we might agree on this recipe being both enticing and easy to make, I bet you still want an explanation for this funky name. And don’t give me no nonsense about the Asians eating insects ! See the minced meat that sticks to the noodles ? This is reminiscent of ants, that would be climbing on trees (noodles, here). That’s all ; thankfully, no actual ant was harmed in the cooking process !

This dish reminds me of a Chinese ragù pasta ; quite meaty, as ragù should be, and with a light, thin sauce that clings to the pasta. Plus, the noodle is al dente, because mung bean noodles remain firm and chewy.

Tase-wise, the Doubanjiang, which is a spicy, salty paste mainly made from fermented beans, gives a little kick to the dish, but nothing too strong. Overall, Ants Climbing a Tree is a pretty mild Szechuan dish with a savoury, comforting taste, that you can make within 20 minutes. Pretty exciting, right ?

Quick Szechuan Noodles (“Ants Climbing a Tree”) – Recipe

Ingredients – Advice & key points

  • I used beef here, but the most traditional choice here would be minced pork. You can definitely choose either.
  • Only 3 ingredients will require a trip to the Asian store, but they are usually easy to find :  
    • Doubanjiang, or Toban Jan : spicy, salty paste made from fermented beans and soybeans, salt, rice and various spices. I usually go for the Lee Kum Kee Toban Djan brand.
    • Mung bean noodles : also named glass noodles or cellophane noodles, are thin, transparent noodles made from mung bean starch and water. We love them here because they’re soft, slightly chewy, and absorbent, making them great for soaking up sauces and broths.
    • Shaoxing rice wine : one of the essentials of your Chinese pantry ! This one is darker than your classic rice cooking wine, and has a more complex taste.
  • If you don’t own a seasoned carbon-steel wok and only have a nonstick wok or nonstick pan, it’s OK. You’ll just have to preheat it well for a few minutes ; also use 1/2 the amount of oil indicated ; and cook the ingredients a bit longer.

Let’s wok it up!

Spanakopita (Spinach & feta flaky pie)

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Greek Spanakopita - flaky pie with spinach, feta, dill, mint, and parsley

Greeks know how to make veggies fast-food-level-enticing, don’t they ? I’d crave this spinach pie as much as a Quarter Pounder with cheese.

I was lucky enough to have Spanakopita in Greece first, then in an authentic Greek restaurant in Paris. This acted as a definite reminder that I needed to figure this recipe out, and the sooner, the better.

I was left dumbfounded by the fresh, sweet and fragrant taste of this pie ; you’d think it bitter and plain , with all this spinach, but it is quite the opposite. The herbs trinity used –mint, dill and parsley– is essential here ; on top of the bright acidity feta cheese provides, they bring out a welcome freshness to the dish, and strong herbs like dill create an additional depth of flavour. I wouldn’t skip any of them.

The texture of this flaky pie is key, too ; I definitely recommend using filo sheets, which I found quite easily in Greek shops. Their lightness and crispiness works perfectly with the quite dense and soft filling.

Spanakopita – Recipe

Ingredients – Pieces of advice

  • This is one of these recipes where I recommend you not to alter the ingredients too much ; the spinach, feta cheese, herbs trinity and filo sheets are all important to the tastes and textures’ balance, in my opinion.
  • You will find filo sheets and blocks of feta cheese quite easily in Greek shops or on the internet. In France, feta cheese if even found in small supermarkets.
  • Careful : the recipe requires a massive amount of spinach. You have 2 choices here, depending on the time you’re willing to spend on this recipe :
    • Buy them frozen, which saves quite a bit of prep time. You need to thaw them, squeeze them, and slice them up roughly. That’s it !
    • Buy them fresh. In this case, add a whole hour of prep time ; you need to :
      • wash them thoroughly, making sure each leave is clean and devoid of any bugs and dirt ;
      • remove any large stem ;
      • pan-fry them in batches so that they wilt ;
      • squeeze out the excess water ;
      • slice them up roughly.
  • Make sure to properly squeeze out the excess water from your spinach ; if you don’t, the filo sheets might get too damp, which is not what you want in order to get a crispy Spanakopita.

Off to your kitchen now !

Note : This happens to be a vegetarian dish, and I have never thought of it as such -I assure you your omnivore friends will be equally thrilled by this wonder !  

Thai Curry Noodles with Fishballs

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Curry Noodles with fisballs, pak choi and a red thai curry broth

When I was in Thailand a few months ago, I had Khanom Jeen, a wonderful fish-based curry dish that I will definitely recreate for you some other time.

Recently, at bedtime, my mind started drifting towards those food memories, as per usual, and I suddenly had the urge to create a fish-based curry dish. This is how I slowly started crafting this dish in my mind ; it is loosely Khanom Jeen-esque, but also incorporates Italian pasta techniques.

I don’t how if I should apologize to Italians or Thai people for this strange fusion dish ; and quite honestly, after trying it out, I didn’t feel like apologizing. The homemade Thai curry paste, boosted by a simple but fragrant Thai fish stock, propels this dish to new levels. One could make it brothier, but I chose to cook the pasta alla risottata -the Italian way ; with enough starchy water to make it properly saucy, but no more. The added fishballs give a hotpot vibe to the dish.

Beware ; this dish is spicy. If you want it less spicy, do adapt your curry paste by using less small, spicy chilies. You could also make it milder by adding more coconut milk and fish broth.

Thai Curry Noodles with Fishballs – Recipe

Ingredients – Advice & key points

  • Adaptability: This recipe is fully adaptable. 
    • You can use a different kind of noodles, different veggies, different proteins, or even a different kind of broth.
    • The only main criterion is to season whichever broth you’re using with a decent curry paste, that I highly recommend to be homemade.

Let’s get saucy!

Chinese Fishballs

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Chinese fishballs with scallions and ginger

My love for fishballs started with hotpots. Of course, we all want to dip those beef slices first ; but after two or three, those bouncy, soft fishballs start catching your eyes.

And so they should ! With a touch of herbs and a hint of sesame, and this unique texture that requires you to smash this fish a little, Chinese fishballs are quite addictive. I find that they pair very well with a broth -I especially like them with a broth, be it a Szechuan spicy broth, or a mild Thai broth, that you might flavour with red pepper paste for a spicy kick. You can also fry them, and they’ll be deliciously crispy on the outside and mellow ion the inside.

For a quick dinner, pair these fishballs with noodles or rice, plus any broth you like. Add a few herbs, some chili oil maybe, and you will be very happy.

Those fishballs are quick and easy to put together, but do account for a 30mn resting time in the fridge.

Chinese fishballs – Recipe

Ingredients – Advice & key points

  • Fish meat:
    • Pair this recipe with Thai fish broth ; this way, you’ll use up your fish carcasses as well as their meat !
    • You can use any white fish you like, so favour using the cheapests, such as pollock, tilapia or pangasius.
    • Whenever you need white fish for a recipe, simply ask your fishmongers’ to keep their carcasses separetely !
  • Other ingredients (scallions, sesame oil, ginger…): You should be able to find them in any Asian store or simply at your local grocery store.
  • It’s worthwile to leave your fishballs in the fridge 30 minutes. Resting lets the meat proteins bind together, leading to a firmer and more cohesive filling that is easier to handle and less likely to fall apart during cooking.
  • Weeknight Idea : Launch your Thai broth first, let it simmer 45 minutes. Finish it with some fish sauce and lime. Meanwhile, make your fishballs. Finally, add your fishballs + noodles to your broth. You’re done within an hour !   

Let’s fishball !

Note : This recipe will provide you with around 14 medium-sized fishballs. If you make them smaller (recommended), you’ll get 18 to 20 of them.

Thai fish stock

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This Thai fish stock is an exception in the world of stocks. Homemade stocks usually take a million years to slowly simmer until the desired taste is reached ; not this one, though. It has few ingredients and will be ready within 1 quick hour, including 45 minutes of inactive time.

I crafted it with one main goal : to make my Curry Noodles with fishballs. But know that you’ll be able to use it in a wind array of weeknight dinner situations : a quick noodle soup or rice soup, with the addition of Thaï curry pastes / Chinese DoubanJiang / Korean Doenjang, and so on ; or simply on its own, with a bit of added fish and/or veggies, plus some cilantro and green onions.

Its taste is on the light side, and that is what you want : a clear and delicate broth, that will lift up any simple dish you’ll like to use it in.

Thai fish stock – Recipe

Ingredients – Advice & key points

  • Fish carcasses:
    • Whenever you need white fish for a recipe, simply ask your fishmongers’ to keep their carcasses separetely !
    • That’s what I did ; I asked my fishmongers’ to prepare 2 sea breams into fillets, and to keep their carcasses on the side. I used the meat for my Chinese fishballs, and the carcasses for this broth.
    • This way, you’re really using up the whole fish ; and you get to make a delicious broth out of something you would’ve thrown away !
  • Lemongrass, daikon : You should be able to find them fresh in any Asian store with a fresh produce aisle.
  • By taking the time to sear the fish carcass first, you create a foundation of flavor that elevates the final broth.

Note : This recipe will provide you with at least 2L worth of fish stock.

Let’s get brothy !

Traditional Thaï Red Curry Paste

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Thai Red Curry paste in a mortar

I was lucky enough to make a Red Curry Paste right in Bangkok.

We’d booked a whole day of recipe-making ; boy, was it tiresome ! But no regrets ; with my companion, we learnt how to make Pad Thaï, Pad See Ew, Red Curry paste, Green curry paste, and several more.

I remember that the Red Curry Paste recipe was a tad simplified, so that us foreigners wouldn’t be too disheartened when trying to find some ingredients in our home countries -hello, Kaffir Limes, or shrimp paste.

But to the valiant heart, nothing is impossible ! I managed to gather all the needed ingredients quite easily, in a single store. Granted, you need to find a large Asian store, with a wide fresh produce section ; or you could order online what’s missing.

Once the gathering of ingredients is done, you’ll need some physical strength and a bit of patience. Yes, you’ll have to earn this amazing red curry paste the hard way. Grinding dried red peppers, even when rehydrated, is an art. Be prepared to spend a good 10 minutes on it at least -but it will depend on your physical strength, and your peppers. The other fresh ingredients are much more easily pounded into the paste.

To summarize the whole process, you will :

  • Rehydrate your chilies ;
  • Chop up every ingredient in small pieces, to make it easier to grind ;
  • Grind your peppers first ;
  • Grind the rest of your ingredients (shallots, lemongrass, kaffir lime zest….).

I know that other recipes will tell you it is fine to use a food processor instead, and it probably is, but I cannot speak for it as I have not tried yet. There is actual science behind the interest of grinding instead of blending ; try it with a garlic clove, if you can. Crushing it will produce a much more pronounced flavour compared to mincing it, as it breaks more of the cells and releases more of the aromatic compounds.

Traditional Thaï Red Curry Paste – Recipe

Ingredients, process – Advice & key points

  • As indicated above, find a large Asian store, with a wide fresh produce section, to find the two kinds of chili peppers needed, Kaffir limes, lemongrass, galangal, cilantro roots and shrimp paste ; or, you could order online what’s missing.
    • Chili peppers : You’ll need two kinds :
      • Dry spur chilies (large ones), that are not very spicy and make the bulk of your pasteAmazon.com : Yours Kitchen Organic Dried Thai Chili (Chifa Red Chili) From My Farm (3.5 Ounce) : Grocery & Gourmet Food
      • Small dry thaï chilies, that are used to make the paste spicyChang Dried Chillies Small 500g - Jessica's Filipino Foods
      • The thin, spicy ones are easy to find ; the large ones, less spicy, can be tricky to find. Use online shops/Amazon if needed ; or, Guajillo peppers if you can access those.
    • Galangal : If you cannot find fresh galangal, you should be able to find frozen, sliced galangal.Galangal - Go Fresh
    • Shrimp paste : You can find it online easily. I use one with only 3 ingredients : shrimps (80%) and salt (20%). If you’re vegetarian of vegan, you can use miso paste instead.Cock Brand Shrimp Paste (Kapi) | Yau Brothers & Co Limited
    • Cilantro roots : Replace with cilantro stems (double the amount). The root part you’d want looks like this :Cilantro Roots Information and Facts
    • Kaffir lime : There is no good replacement for it. You could, though, use Kaffir lime leaves (available online) instead of kaffir lime zest, by adding it straight to your curry (not your curry paste, as it doesn’t grind very well).Kaffir Lime (Makrut Lime) Essential Oil
  • It is important that you rehydrate your chilies for at least 40 minutes, or your chilies won’t grind properly.
  • Do not rush the grinding of the peppers part ! It might be tiresome, but your paste needs to be properly soft to make it enjoyable. Contrary to pesto making, I found it to be easier to grind my peppers by mostly doing up-and-down, pounding motions (lift the pestle and bring it down with force) rather than circular ones.

Using your Red Curry Paste – Pieces of advice

  • Very useful trick : Make a batch of Red Curry Paste, then freeze your leftovers easily ! You just have to use an ice cube tray ; then thaw as needed when you feel like eating a curry.
  • How to use your Red Curry Paste:
    • In a classic Curry recipe with rice ;
    • In a quick noodle soup such as these Fishballs Red Curry Noodles.

Now let’s pound and grind !

Winter Crudo

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Fish crudo with citruses, radishes and grapefruit segments

Fresh fish is what you usually crave in summer : be it Ceviches, Poke Bowls or Crudos, they mostly contain summery fruit and vegetables that you sourly miss come winter.

Even when it’s cold outside though, there’s a point where you cannot eat soups, stews and cheese-based dishes anymore. I needed to figure out a way to eat seasonal, yet to get a pleasant plate of fresh fish.

This is how I crafted this Winter Crudo, with wintery citruses and radishes. It couldn’t be simpler !

  • you make a quick sauce using mostly the juice a few citruses ;
  • you cut up some fish, radishes and pomelos ;
  • and there you go !

If you like it sour, you’ll enjoy this recipe tremendously. The olive oil softens the blow from the citruses and the bitter radishes, though. The whole thing is pleasantly fresh, crunchy, with all the softness of raw fish.

Winter Crudo – Recipe

Ingredients – Pieces of advice

  • Regarding fish, you can choose any of your fishmongers’ freshest, white-fleshed fish. Try to pick one that has delicate flesh since you don’t leave the sauce too long on your fish. Common choices are sea bream, sea bass, fluke or halibut.
  • When it comes to the potential bitterness, here are 2 tips to avoid getting an overly sour sauce :
    • When squeezing your limes, don’t press all the way until the end ! If you press it until the final drops come out, the end result will be more sour.
    • Salt is your friend here ! It is important to salt both your sauce and your fish properly, as it makes the acidity seem less sharp and more palatable.
  • For the pepper, use what you have on hand !
  • You can serve this recipe as a starter ; then simply multiply by 2 the portions it serves (a 2-persons serving would make a 4-persons serving).

Off to your kitchen now !