Many meals have become cliched and dismissed as nothing more than good practice. Recently, The Guardian ran a few articles on how to make the 'best...' including Bolognese and Thai Green Curry. These were kind of interesting as so much depended on the conditions of cooking, the utensils and obviously the ingredients. The balance and timing of such things were also crucial and having done these so many times, I can tell you that a lot of it is bollocks.
I am pretty confident that with a couple of key pans, knives and hours, you can purchase, prepare and cook food that will taste great on day 1, better on day 2 and freeze really well for another day if you want.
So then what am I making this evening? Well we decided this morning on TGC as we haven't had it in months and I was going to Sainsbury's. Now a little point here - don't shop when you are hungry and don't ignore your shopping list thinking you know what's on it. I am a fool and had to go out again this afternoon. They don't put these kinds of screw ups in cook books because recipes are all about trust. Therefore I am already chancing losing it before I even write - but I am making the mistakes we all make.
What did I forget? Fresh ginger, lime leaves, chicken (yes I know - but at least I remembered while I was there and managed to traipse all the way from one end to the other to collect some of it). The problem was, I then forgot other stuff but so be it. I was hungry and pissed off.
So now I am going to cook a classic, standard fare but pretty tasty meal. A couple of things will make mine different to all other recipes - I am quite confident of this. But you don't need to copy me to get a good result as I only do some things my way because they have worked for me. Try your own thing out and also cooking instructions on the shop packaging tend to be pretty reliable, funnily enough. Nevertheless, I will also add that if I could afford to shop in markets etc, I damn well would. Although that food doesn't keep very long.
So what to use for THAI GREEN CURRY
Firstly get a wok and a food processor - if you don't, you will have a nightmare with this and don't even bother as by the end you will hate cooking.
This will serve 2. If you want more, add more. ;)
Ingredients:
2-3 chicken breasts diced. Try to buy free range at least because that will make a difference.
2 limes - first zest 1 with a grater and then juice 1 and a half - keep a squeezed half
Medium bunch coriander
Handful of basil
Olive oil 2 good glugs
Chicken stock (use Knorr at a push but not supermarket's own brand)
Bunch of spring onions sliced (top and tail any manky bits and separate the green bits from the white).
Garlic 2 cloves peeled and sliced
Lemon grass - 2 stalks (outer layer removed and top and tail and then bash and slice fine)
Ginger 1 thumb size peeled - but keep some peelings.
Chilli - 2 green medium size hot chillies de-seeded unless you fancy yourself tough guy.
Salt (buy Maldon flakes in a box - they are less 'salty' than table salt and haven't been processed) and pepper
1 tin coconut milk
Something green and vegetable-like. I am using 1 courgette and 1 green pepper as well, both sliced.
Basmati rice - 1 cup between two people
I wish my daughter wasn't crying so much while I was trying to make this. Recently, she won't settle to sleep without someone stroking her back. So we are trying to ween her off this habit and it sounds like someone has bottled the world's collective reaction to 'Beaches' and is pouring it out fast all over her bedroom.
Anyway, chuck all the coriander, basil, lemon grass, chopped garlic, chopped ginger, green ends of spring onions, lime juice and zest, olive oil, chillies into the food processor and pulse the hell out of it. You now have a green curry paste. Sorted. It will have little small pieces of stuff in it as it will not be a smooth paste. That would take too long and be a waste of time.
Add the paste to a bowl with the diced chicken in. Add pinch of salt and pepper, stir it and let it sit for 15 mins. In the meantime you can slice your peppers and courgette.
Heat the wok (which heats very fast and DO NOT pour oil directly into the wok. This will cause a small fire, smoke, burns and so on). Instead, there is oil already in the paste and that will do what you need doing. Cook.
First do the rice. This is the different part as I was taught this by my dad and have never seen it elsewhere. Probably because I haven't looked. Pour a glug of olive oil in a smallish non stick pan and heat up on a medium to high heat. Then add the cup of basmati rice and 2-3 (cleaned) peelings of ginger. Stir. Stirring every 10 seconds or so, eventually (2 mins or so) you will smell a slightly nutty, gingerish frying smell. Then add 1 and a 1/2 cups of cold water and watch it jump all over the place for 2 seconds. Then a pinch of salt and the half of already squeezed lime COVER WITH A LID AND DON'T REMOVE. Bring to boiling point (1 min) and then turn down to simmer for 12 mins. Put it on a timer and all the water cooks into the rice. THERE IS NO DRAINING TO BE DONE!!!! When it is ready, turn off heat and leave until chicken is ready.
Pour in chicken and stir a lot. The sauce will catch on the wok and start to brown. Keep stirring and chipping away for about 3 mins. Then add in the tin of coconut milk and stir well and turn the heat down to a simmer. Also add half a cup of chicken stock and stir. Simmer for 10 mins and add the sliced peppers and courgette (or whatever green thing you choose here). Simmer for another 10 mins and stir every minute to stop the coconut milk bubbling or separating. Just before the end, add the white bits of spring onion and stir in - leave some to chuck on top when served.
Once ready, remove the lime and ginger peelings from your rice, spoon some into a bowl (as a plate will pour the liquids into your lap) and then some chicken. If you have any uncooked left over coriander and basil, these looks nice on top and add to the lovely fresh taste.
This is now ready to eat and very tasty indeed. All in all this should take 10 mins prep, 20 mins cooking, 10 mins fuck up time just in case you get some stages wrong. It is a versatile meal and if you forget to do something, chuck it in because it will work.
Enjoy and let me know how it went. Bolognese and Chilli will come another time.
Cheers
It was absolutely delicious, too!
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