WE'RE empty nesters. The last of our brood set out a couple of months ago and we've been adjusting from cooking for a hungry young man and somewhat picky young woman to menu choices we'd prefer.

 

I love seafood and have been introducing more to our menus. This Thai-style seafood curry was just the kind of tasty treat I would have once flipped past in a cook book but now, rather than just salivate over the pictures and ingredient list, I am cooking and eating with gusto.

 

RED CURRY PASTE

4 medium red chillies, halved and seeds scrapped out (I saved my seeds and have planted them in the garden).

4 teaspoons coriander seeds

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

4 lemongrass stalks (I used one stalk and added a generous squeeze of lemongrass in a tube.)

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated

4 shallots, chopped into chunks

4 garlic cloves

2 limes, zest and juice

2 teaspoons hot paprika

 

Dry fry the seeds for about 5mins and then blitz them in a food processor. Add to the powdered seeds all the other ingredients and blitz until you have a chunky paste, like mine pictured.

 

SEAFOOD CURRY

1 tablespoon peanut oil

All the red curry paste. The recipe calls for just one tablespoon, but I used the lot.

500g seafood marinara mix

200ml coconut milk

1 cup coriander, chopped (plus extra to serve)

1 tomato, chopped

1 tablespoon fish sauce

 

Heat the peanut oil and add the curry paste, allowing it to sizzle and pop until fragrant. Add the marinara mix and coat, cooking the seafood through. Add the coconut milk, tomato and coriander and allow to simmer until the fish pieces in your marinara just start to break down.

 

Serve with jasmine rice and top with another handful of chopped coriander.

 

SOURCE: Spirited Feasts, a fundraising cook book by Matthew Flinders Anglican College

 

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