You know when you try to follow a recipe and the crucial ingredients just aren't available? Well that. It happened the other day, but I have to say, the resulting panic led to something quite magical. I had been planning dinner for the Friday of our most recent country weekend and had the idea of fish curry - it can be prepared and part-made in advance, is a crowd pleaser and is happy to sit and wait whilst our pals beetle out of London and head north. I had the recipe, I had done the online shop - a very rare occurrence - and we were ready to head out the door. Then the delivery man dropped the bomb that he had had to replace the curry leaves, with bay leaves... You just think about that!
A mad dash to the local, provincial, supermarket on a Friday afternoon did not give me what I needed, and in the panic, I bought the closest thing I could find. Kafir Lime Leaves. Do you know, I am very glad I did. The resulting curry had a fresh, citrus flavour, more reminiscent of Thai curry than the Kerelan I was going for, but that isn't always a bad thing...
Needless to say, my pals were happy, the homemade naan breads came out well and the weekend, albeit a washout, went marvellously.
Ingredients. For 4. I cooked for 8 so simply doubled it
560g Firm White Fish. I used Cod
165g Raw King Prawns
1tsp Mustard Seeds
Kafir Lime Leaves. 1 packet. About 6-8
1 Large Onion, thinly sliced
3 Cloves of Garlic, thinly sliced
3cm Fresh Ginger, peeled and sliced
1 Green Chilli, sliced
2tsp Chilli Powder
2tsp Ground Turmeric
1 Handful Cherry Tomatoes, chopped
1 400ml tin Coconut Milk
Olive Oli
Salt & Pepper
Method
1. Chop the fish into 2.5cm chunks and coat in 1tsp of the turmeric and a pinch of salt. Set aside. Prepare the rest of the ingredients so they are ready to go
2. Put a large pan over a medium heat and add a glug of olive oil. Add the mustard seeds and gently heat until they start popping
3. Now add the onion, garlic, ginger and fresh chilli. Soften for 5 minutes
4. Add the kafir lime leaves, rest of the turmeric and chilli powder. stir for a further 5 minutes
5. Pour in the coconut milk and combine fully. Cook for 5-10 minutes. Check and adjust the seasoning but now you are ready to relax, you can set aside until everyone is ready to eat
6. As you are about to serve, ensure the sauce is piping hot, add the fish, prawns and tomatoes. They should cook in no time - about 5 minutes. Cover the pot and take to the table. By the time everyone has sat down and found their glass, it will be ready to devour.
7. It's even better for breakfast the next morning!
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