Thai Green Curry Shrimp

This night of cooking is courtesy of Bo and I served as sous chef to his direction.

We have wanted to make a good green curry ever since we met. after trying numerous store-bought pastes, we decided to break down and make our own curry paste after visiting with friends who gave us some Thai basil.

Now you should know, this dish was made the night before. When we make Indian curries they are always made the day prior to eating them. This way the flavors have time to set and meld. We did the same with this dish.

Finally! A decent green curry. Is there room for improvement? Of course there is. We both thought it was missing a “sweetness” from using the light coconut milk. Like anything you try for the first time, it takes awhile to find the correct nuances. But that just means we get to make more Thai curries!

Oh, and in case I hadn't mentioned it before, my husband can COOK!!!!

Green Curry Shrimp (Adapted from Tyler Florence)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, cut in 8 wedges
1 green bell pepper, cut in 8 wedges
1 stalk lemongrass, white bulb only
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh ginger
3 tablespoons Thai green curry paste, recipe follows
2 kaffir lime leaves
3 cups unsweetened coconut milk, 2 (13.5 ounce) cans (we used light as it is what we had)
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 lb shrimp
Sea salt
1 lime, juiced
Fresh Thai basil leaves
Fresh cilantro leaves
Lime wedges, for garnish

Place a large, deep skillet over medium heat and coat with the oil. Saute the onion and green peppers for 3 minutes to soften. Split the piece of lemongrass down the middle and whack it with the flat side of a knife to open the flavor. Add the lemongrass, ginger, curry paste and lime leaves to the skillet and stir for 2 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk and chicken broth; add a pinch of salt. Stir together and simmer over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Lay the shrimp in the mixture to poach for about 5 minutes or until pink. Squeeze in the lime juice and shower with basil and cilantro; serve in dinner bowls with lime wedges.

Thai Green Curry Paste
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
8 fresh Thai green chiles
2 shallots, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, smashed
Small handful of fresh cilantro sprigs
2-inch piece galangal, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 lemon grass stalks, white part only, coarsely chopped
2 kaffir lime leaves, torn
2 teaspoons dried shrimp paste
1/2 cup water

Heat the coriander, cumin seeds, and peppercorns in a small dry skillet for 2 minutes until fragrant. Put the seeds in a clean coffee grinder or spice mill and buzz the spices to a powder.

Put the spice blend and remaining ingredients in a food processor, and pulse to combine. Pour in the water to help grind everything down into a paste.