Now that you have some ideas of how to make Thai curries I thought it might be interesting to give the same recipes but the execution of the recipe is different and I must admit that I borrowed it from Western ways of eating and cooking techniques. Although, we have grilled meats in our culinary repertoire we don’t do it the same way as people from the West. In the first recipe I am going to give is a recipe for a marinated steak served with Green curry sauce. The marinade is made if the ingredients that goes to make the green curry but I just blended them all together and marinate the steak with it over night to give it the added flavor and as for the green curry itself I just simply make a small amount of the regular green curry without adding the meat and pour it over the steak. I do hope you will try it yourself at home. I cannot call this fusion food because it basically Thai cuisine with Western technique of cooking.

Ingredients for Green Curry sauce:

Coconut cream                                                               1        cup

Green curry paste                                                           2        Tbsp.

Coconut milk                                                                  ½       cup

Coconut sugar                                                                2        Tsp.

Fish sauce                                                                     2        Tbsp.

Fresh Thai basil leaves, picked                                           ½       cup

 Directions:
1. Bring the coconut cream to boil in a wok or pot until an oily sheen appears on the surface of the liquid. Add the curry paste and spread out and cook over medium heat until fragrant and the curry becomes green.
2. Add the coconut milk and bring back to boil. Correct seasoning with coconut sugar and fish sauce. Boil to reduce a little and add fresh Thai basil and turn off the heat.
3. Spoon this sauce over the cooked steak and grilled eggplant. This dish can be served with rice or crusty French bread.

     The second recipe is a Chu Chee Curry which similar to Panaeng curry with their characteristic thicker sauce and you do not need to make a lot of the sauce because both of these curries have the characteristic which Thais call “Kluk Klik” which means small about of sauce or just enough to wet or cover the meat.  In the Chu Chee recipe I  chose to use Salmon which is easily available in most countries.  Remember that salmon in Western cuisine should not be over cooked but in Thailand they prefer it well done.  Consequently the salmon steaks are usually dry and hard.  I suggest that you cook it to the degree of doneness that you desire but I personally like it still pink in the center.  Here goes the two recipes for this weekend and you should try it.  Let me know if you are successful or not through my office E mail address at mcdangoffice@mcdang.com.

Steak Pla Salmon Gup Gaeng Chu Chee, (Chu Chee Curry Salmon Steak)

Ingredients:

Salmon steak, 120 grams                                        4                 pieces

Chu Chee Curry paste                                            2                 Tbsp.

Coconut Milk                                                     2.5-3               cups

Fish sauce                                                           1-2              Tsp.

Coconut sugar                                                      1-2              Tsp.

Vegetable oil                                                        2                 Tbsp.

Garnishes:

Long red chili peppers, cut into thin long strips           2                 Tbsp.

Kaffir Lime Leaves, sliced very thin                           1                 pinch

Directions:
1. Add the vegetable to a wok or pan and heat up until hot. Add the curry paste and spread and cook in oil over medium heat, add a little coconut milk to the paste to make it spreadable and cook easily in the oil. Cook the curry paste with about 1/2 cup of coconut milk for 5-7 minutes over low heat until the curry is thoroughly cooked. Do not burn the curry or it will become bitter.
2. Add the rest of the coconut milk and bring to boil, stir to mix well.
3. Once boiling, add the pieces of salmon steaks and bring the liquid back to boil and simmer for 3-5 minutes to cook the steak. Use a large enough pan so that the steaks do not sit on top of one another when cooking.
4. Adjust the seasoning with fish sauce and coconut sugar. Once the fish is just done take out of the pan and plate. There should not be too much curry sauce left in the pan because the character of this curry is just enough thick liquid to cover the steaks. If there is too much sauce you can always reduce the liquid but have to be careful in the amount of fish sauce you add to it.
5. Spoon the sauce over the steaks and garnish the top with sliced long red chili pepper strips and Kaffir lime.

Tips:
a. If you cannot find Chu chee curry paste just use red curry paste and pound in more Kaffir lime skin.
b. Chu Chee Curry is similar to Panaeng Curry which are both thicker and Kaffir lime is indispensable in these two curries.