Skip to main content

CHU CHEE FISH CURRY


I first tried this curry a few years ago in the Thai restaurant in Harrington. It was a prawn curry and I couldn't forget its taste. It was mouthwatering! I had to have the same dish everytime I went there!! I have tried now to replicate this curry at home many times, and have to admit that the recipe below is excellent! Very similar to the one from the restaurant in Harrington, which unfortunately closed down a few months ago.

INGREDIENTS:
Chu chee paste
10 large dried red chillies
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
1 Tbsp mixed peppercorns
1 Tbsp shrimp paste (belacan)
10 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded
2 Tbsp grated kaffir lime zest (or lime or lemon zest)
2 Tbsp chopped coriander stem and root
1 lemon grass stem, white part only, finely chopped
3 Tbsp chopped fresh galangal (or ginger)
1 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp red curry paste
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 big red onion, chopped

500ml (2 cups) coconut cream (tin unshaken)
1 kg fish fillets, cut into bite-size
2-3 Tbsp fish sauce
3 Tbsp grated palm sugar
8 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded
2 handfuls Thai basil

METHOD
Preheat oven to 180C. 
Soak the chillies in a small bowl of hot water for 10 minutes. Drain, remove the seeds and roughly chop.
Put the coriander seeds, peppercorns and shrimp paste onto a foil-lined tray and bake for 5 minutes, or until fragrant. Place these ingredients, plus all the remaining chu chee paste ingredients, into a food processor and process until the mixture forms a smooth paste.
Add a little water if the paste is too stiff.

Spoon 250 g (1 cup) of the thick coconut cream from the top of the tin into a wok and heat until just boiling. 


Stir in 4 - 5 tablespoons of the chu chee paste, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the oil begins to separate.


Stir in the remaining coconut cream and the fish fillets and cook for 3 - 5 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fillets).
Add the fish sauce, palm sugar and kaffir lime leaves and cook for 3 minutes.
Stir through half the basil and garnish with the rest.


Serves 4


I love this same recipe with prawns (above) or prawns and scallops. Just follow the recipe up until before adding the rest of the coconut cream to the wok.
In another pan (or the Thermomix - see below) add some oil and the prawn heads and fry for about 2 minutes. Add the rest of the coconut cream, cook for another 2-3 minutes and then press the heads with the back of a wooden spoon and discard. Add the coconut cream to the curry paste and follow recipe as for above.  
You can also add some fresh prawns to the fish recipe if you prefer it. If you do so, cook the heads first as per above instructions. 

THERMOMIX METHOD:
To make the paste, place dried chillies (deseeded), peppercorns, coriander seeds and shrimp paste in mixing bowl, cook 5 min/100°C/speed 1.
Grind 1 min/speed 10.
Add the rest of the ingredients, blend 30 sec/speed 10. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl with spatula.
Blend 30 sec/speed 10. 
Meanwhile, pour some water (about 50ml) onto mixing bowl lid, letting it drizzle around measuring cup in a thin stream onto rotating blades.


For the prawn recipe, proceed as per traditional recipe up until after adding the curry paste to the wok. 
Add the prawn heads to the TM bowl with 20g olive oil and sauté 2 min / 120 ° C / speed 1 .
Add coconut cream and cook 5 min / 100 ° C / speed. Wait 5 minutes for the temperature to drop slightly and blend 1 min / speed 5 -10 progressively. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and set aside.


Add the coconut cream mixture to the curry paste in the wok and when it is starting to boil, reduce heat and add the prawns. Cook for a couple of minutes.


Add the fish sauce, palm sugar and kaffir lime leaves and cook for 3 minutes.
Stir through half the basil and garnish with the rest.


Serves 4

THE CURRY PASTE: If you follow this recipe, you will have enough curry paste to make this recipe THREE times. I divide the leftover paste into two small jars and freeze it for whenever I want to use it again.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

TOMATO CARPACCIO WITH SPRING ONION & GINGER SALSA

There is only one trick to this salad: the tomatoes must be ripe! The rest is easy and it is so delicious, you will want to make it many times. It would be a fantastic side dish to accompany any recipe. It is exceptionally good. INGREDIENTS 3cm piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped 3 spring onions, very finely sliced 40ml sunflower or olive oil 2 tsp good quality sherry vinegar 400g (beef) tomatoes (2-3 depending on size) sliced 2mm thick 1 small green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 1 1/2 Tbsp finely shredded coriander 1 Tbsp olive oil flaked sea salt METHOD: Put the ginger and 1/2 teaspoon of flaked salt into a pestle and mortar and crush to a fine paste.  Transfer to a bowl with the spring onions and stir to combine. Put the oil into a small pan and place on a low heat until just warm: you don't want it to heat too much.  Pour over the spring onions and add 1 teaspoon of vinegar. Stir together and set aside. Chop the chili and shred the

SLOW-BAKED LAMB SHOULDER

This is a lamb recipe that is so delicious you are going to make it more than once. A favourite of friends and family. I like to accompany with a couscous salad with feta and almonds and a yoghurt and bean dip . Recipes in this blog. INGREDIENTS 1.8 - 2.2 kg lamb shoulder, with or without the bone 2 tsp sea salt flakes 8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 6 sprigs rosemary, stripped and leaves chopped 1 Tbsp black peppercorns 100ml extra virgin olive oil zest and juice of 1 lemon 3 Tbsp dried oregano 100ml white wine vinegar METHOD: Preheat the oven to 150°C (fan-forced). Trim extra fat from lamb.  If you using a shoulder with the bone, make small incisions on the skin. Grind the salt, garlic, rosemary and peppercorns in a mortar and pestle or small food processor. Add the olive oil, lemon zest and juice and dried oregano. If using a boned shoulder, open out the lamb. Massage the marinade into the lamb. Make sure it goes into the small incisions. Place t

TOFU MEATBALL KORMA

Tonight's meal is the Ottolenghi's Korma Feast. Gosh it was delicious 😋 ! I have been super tired with work and haven't felt much like cooking. We have not been eating very well in the last couple of weeks.... But tonight we really had a great meal even though I had to spend hours in the kitchen 🙄 . But it was worth it 😁 . Tofu meatball korma & Spicy berbere ratatouille with Olive oil flatbreads . All made from scratch. Just superb! The tofu meatballs are just amazing. I have leftover tofu and will make a batch and freeze them for another day. I can eat them just with no sauce or any other sauce. They would be lovely with some tomato base sauce or any curry sauce. But even with a side vegetable dish or salad.  My husband thought that they were made with mince meat!!  Yum yum! Ingredients ½ red onion, thinly sliced (60g) 2 tbsp lemon juice 40g cashews 20g blanched almonds 6 cardamom pods, shells discarded and seeds removed 2 tsp cumin seeds 2 tsp coriander seeds

THE BEST ONION GRATIN

I love this recipe. I have to stop myself for not eating more than I need. It goes really well as part of a baked dinner. When you try it, you'd want to make it again and again. 😍😋💚  Ingredients 4 medium red onions, peeled and quartered olive oil sea salt & freshly ground black pepper 8 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced a small wineglass of white wine 4 Tbsp crème fraîche 50g gruyère cheese, grated 50g parmesan cheese, grated Preparation Preheat the oven to 200°C. Break the onion quarters apart to give you little 'petals'.  Place these in an earthenware oven dish.  Drizzle with a couple of glugs of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper, and toss in your thyme and garlic.  Mix up well, add your white wine.  Cover with a double layer of tinfoil, wrap tightly and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 45 minutes, then remove the dish from the oven, take the tinfoil off and pop the dish back in the ove

ROAST CABBAGE WITH PECORINO

This is the first time I cooked this recipe and it is amazing!! We had leftovers and served warmed the following day for lunch with family members and they all wanted the recipe. It is just a very different way to eat cabbage and it is scrumptious. From Ottolenghi's cookbook 'Simple'. INGREDIENTS 120ml olive oil 2 lemons: finely grate the zest to get 2 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp lemon juice 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 cabbage (sweetheart, pointed cabbage or other), cut lengthways into eighths a small handful of parsley or tarragon leaves, roughly chopped 30g of pecorino or parmesan cheese, shaved salt and black pepper METHOD: Preheat oven to 220°C. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the oil, lemon zest, garlic, 1/4 tsp salt and a good grind of pepper. Set aside 2 Tbsp. Arrange the cabbage on a parchment-lined tray and brush with the oil mixture. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are crisp and golden-brown. Transfer the c