Foodie culture has pushed aside convenience. When I was growing up, it was perfectly acceptable for Aunt Jemima to make your pancakes or for you to buy your parmesan freshly grated in a tub. Not only must we now do everything ourselves, we must also have the shiny equipment to execute it on. Making cookies and cakes by hand seems no longer possible as contemporary recipe writers automatically direct you to add things to your stand mixer. I could bemoan this for ages, but my real point is about convenience. Is it really so bad all of the time? Don’t we sometimes really want things that can be made in 30 minutes if it’s a Wednesday night and we forgot to menu plan on Sunday?

OF COURSE scratch pancakes are much better than Aunt Jemima’s, but I think there are some perfectly acceptable shortcuts you can take advantage of, thai curry paste being one of them. I have made my own paste by hand with a mortar and pestle. And believe me, as delicious and rewarding as it was, it’s not a Wednesday night kind of activity. Jarred pastes aren’t perfect—they can be a little muted and mild—but I think using them as the base of a homemade sauce makes you feel a lot better than buying a frozen curry or calling for takeout. All it takes is a few extra ingredients, and you’ve got yourself a damn good Thai curry. Perfect? Hardly, but who cares. It’s Wednesday night, and you’ve only got so much time until ANTM starts.

Thai Red Curry with Halibut
Adapted from Bon Appetit

Serves two generously.

3 large limes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2/3 cup chopped shallots
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 clove of garlic, minced
1.5 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon of sugar, cane sugar if possible
10 to 12 ounces halibut fillets, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil, or fresh Thai basil

**You could also add other chopped vegetables such as bamboo shoots, eggplant or green beans, as well as some minced Thai chillies if you wanted more heat.

Finely grate enough peel from 2 limes to measure 1 1/2 teaspoons. Squeeze enough juice from 2 limes to measure 2 tablespoons. Cut third lime into wedges.

Heat vegetable oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped shallots, diced red bell pepper, minced ginger and minced garlic; sautè until shallots are tender and peppers soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry paste, coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons lime peel, and 2 tablespoons lime juice. Simmer gently, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Add fish to curry sauce. Return to very gentle simmer and cook just until fish is opaque in centre, 5 to 6 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Gently stir in cilantro and basil; serve over jasmine rice with lime wedges.

Today’s Special: Chef’s Menu, Maenam
I’ve heard others say that Chef Angus An of Maenam has done for Thai cuisine what Chef Vikram Vij has done for Indian cuisine. After having visited Maenam a few times since moving here, I totally agree. The dishes at Maenam remind you of all that you love about Thai food and then some. I feel strange using words like “refined” and “modern,” but that’s kind of the vibe.  I have never seen halibut cheeks or ahi tuna on any other Thai menu. I’ve also never seen a Thai restaurant with such an impressive wine and cocktail list (the Sra Morakot and Tuk Tuk Punch should not be missed). I think the best and easiest way to experience Maenam is to order the $30 pp Chef’s Menu. At five courses plus, you get to taste a wide array of dishes and get to do so at an easy price. Pictured is our second round of dishes:  seared ahi tuna and mint salad, pad thai, red curry with duck and a squid and baby corn stirfry.  What came before was a hot and sour soup with shrimp and some big fat mussels.  Not a bad way to spend a birthday.

Maenam
West 4th Ave & Cypress, Vancouver

Chefs Darren and Rodrigo were gracious hosts and patient instructors as we made our way through a papaya salad with shrimp starter, red curry with duck, a mushroom and baby corn stir-fry and the classic mangos with sticky rice.  They provided a good deal of knowledge to us about where we could find ingredients, how we could make substitutions and how we could cut corners if we wanted a quicker meal.  Making your own curry paste is fun and rewarding, but it isn’t always possible when you’ve only got half an hour.

Unlike the Mediterranean course I took at NAIT with Sugar, we got to eat our wares in the Institute’s dining room as each course was ready.  And not surprisingly, all was only made better with the included wine pairings.

The cooking + eating + drinking combo was a winning one and now has me regularly perusing upcoming classes.  I have my eye on you, Spain.

Red Curry Paste

c/o Cook! and the City

1 tablespoon coriander seeds (roasted)
2 cardamom pods (roasted)
0.5 teaspoon black peppercorns
0.5 teaspoon salt
10 large dried red chilies (seeds removed, soaked in hot water until soft and finely chopped)
1 teaspoon galangal or ginger (skin removed, chopped)
2 teaspoons lemongrass (the lower third, chopped)
1 teaspoon kaffir lime peel (chopped)
1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
3 tablespoons shallots (chopped)
3 tablespoons garlic (chopped)
1 teaspoon shrimp paste
10 small fresh red chilies

Place coriander seeds, cardamom pods and peppercorn in mortar and pound them to a powder with pestle.  Add the rest of the ingredients and pound for 10 minutes or until you have a smooth paste.

Like Sugar, I’m a big fan of green curries.  A green curry with chicken is a standard for me when eating out.  The other one is basil chicken.  The flavour is not as complex or as rich as a curry, but the spice of the chilies and the sweetness of the basil is a winning combination.  Add an appetizer and some steamed rice, and Cream is in Thai heaven.

Essentially just a stir fry, there’s not a lot to fret about regarding ingredients or technique when making basil chicken.  Googling a recipe results in the Thai names of Gai Pad Krapow or Pad Krapow Gai.  Both paths will end in deliciousness I think.  As I waded through results, I found that a more authentic recipe calls for holy basil, which is apparently hard to find.  The real deal is not made with the expected purple-stemmed Thai basil.  A few sites recommended using a mix of mint and Thai basil as a substitution.  So, I did just that. 

It’s not a dish with many vegetables, but as the restaurant versions I prefer always have bell peppers, I required one of those, and I added green beans for good measure.  It also seems to be more authentic to use ground chicken.  The reason for this being that more surface area of the chicken gets hit with the few but strong flavours.  So, if you’re using breast (like me), make sure to dice it quite small.

The aromas that fill the house when the ingredients hit the hot pan are intoxicating.  Add the perfume of a pot of jasmine rice and the sun of a long Alberta day, and Thai heaven is in fact your own home.

Thai Basil Chicken

Makes enough for two.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2-5 chilies, finely chopped (I used 3 small Thai red chilies and the heat was a tolerable medium)

2 shallots, finely sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

About 2 handfuls of green beans, trimmed and chopped to about 1.5 inches in length

1 red pepper, sliced

2 chicken breasts, diced

2.5 tablespoons fish sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

About 1 cup Thai basil leaves

About 0.5 cup mint leaves

1 lime

Cooked jasmine rice

1.  Heat oil over high heat in wok or frying pan.  When the oil starts to smoke, add the chilies, shallots, and garlic and stir fry for about 30 seconds, until golden.

2.  Add the beans and red pepper and fry until tender-crisp, about 4 minutes.

3.  Add the chicken and stir fry until cooked, about 5 minutes, depending on size of dice.

4.  Add the fish sauce and sugar, stir to coat.

5.  Reduce heat to medium and add the herbs.  Stir fry until wilted.  Remove from heat.

Serve with lime wedges and atop jasmine rice.

I admit that I went in with certain trepidation about the risk of cooking watered down “Thai-ish” food. I was pleasantly surprised and have since recreated these dishes at home, and with friends, to rave reviews. Delicate and perfectly fresh salad rolls with mango and prawns, succulent satay, Thai curries, and of course the obligatory full fat coconut rice. Not only were recipes revealed, but more importantly, the mysterious ingredients and where to buy them unfolded. Suddenly the shelves at the always incredible T&T Supermarket were filled opportunity instead of question marks.

Here are my versions of two dishes that are now kitchen staples with tips on brands to seek out on your next T&T outing…

Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce

1 kg or boneless skinless chicken breast

Marinade:

2 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsp canola oil

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp fish sauce (squid brand is recommended)

6 Tbsp coconut milk

2 Tbsp sugar

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp turmeric

3 cloves of crushed garlic

bamboo skewers

Cube chicken breast into 1″ pieces and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients, and then add all liquid ingredients. Toss chicken in marinade and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.

Soak skewers in hot water for 20 minutes to prevent burning. Preheat BBQ to Medium-High and oven to 350° . Thread chicken onto skewers and spray lightly with oil. Grill on an angle to get nice grill marks until golden. Finish in the oven to retain grill marks, but prevent drying (5-10 more minutes).

Serve with Warm Peanut Sauce and Lime Wedges.

Peanut Sauce:

1/4 cup finely diced onion

2 Tbsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp butter

1 cup chunky peanut butter

1 cup whipping cream

1 Tbsp sambal olek (chili garlic sauce)

30 ml coconut syrup (creme de coco)

In a small sauce pan, saute garlic and onions in butter until translucent. Add peanut butter, cream and sambal olek and mix well. Slowly bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes. Add coconut syrup and cook 10 minutes longer. Remove from heat and keep warm until ready to serve.

Green Thai Curry with Prawns

1 pound large prawns

1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 Tbsp green curry paste (Mae Ploy brand is recommended)

1/2 tsp sugar

2 lemon grass stalks

2 red chilies cut into thin strips

1/2 onion coarsely chopped

2 carrots peeled and sliced on the diagonal

1 zucchini cut in half length wise, cored, sliced

1 cup fresh asparagus cut into 2″ pieces

1/4 bunch of cilantro

6 limes wedges

1 package of rice stick noodles (steamed, rinsed and set aside)

Peel and devein prawns and set aside. Bruise lemon grass stalks by bashing with the blunt edge of a knife to release fragrance and chop coarsely.

Place half of coconut milk in a pan and bring to a boil. Add curry paste and lemon grass. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes. Add sugar, remaining coconut milk, and whipping cream. Simmer 5 minutes longer. With a fine sieve, strain mixture to remove lemongrass. Reserve.

In a wok or pan, heat oil and saute onion, carrot, zucchini, and asparagus until tender. Add prawns and saute an additional minute. Add reserved green curry sauce and simmer until prawns are cooked through.

Toss with noodles or serve over rice. Garnish with red chilies, cilantro, and lime wedges.