Traditional Thai chicken red curry recipe

Okay, so harking back to before "the break", I stocked up on all the ingredients required to cook traditional "Gaeng phed kai" or Thai red chicken curry (picture duplicated below for your convenience) having been so inspired by Douglas Chew-

- this was basically all the bits I didn't have in the cupboard or growing on the windowsill/in the garden, namely - Coriander seeds, Fish Sauce, Fermented Shrimp Paste, Coconut Milk, Galangal, some nice fresh dried chillis, some fresh lemon grass and a big old block of palm sugar...without further ado, on to the recipe (it's 2 stage) -

Traditional Thai Red Curry Paste Recipe

1. So, from scratch (the quantities I supply here will be sufficient to make 4 large, spicy servings of any Red Curry, but I happen to like Chicken) grab your mini blender (or pestle and mortar) and put in the following ingredients -

10 Dried red chillies (stalks and all)
7 Cloves of garlic (take the skins off)
1 Inch cube of galangal (dried is fine, in a pinch a similar quantity of fresh ginger might work instead, but I haven't tried it..)
1 Inch of lemon grass (if it's the bottom inch chop the root bit off and throw it away)
half a teaspoon of lime zest ("kaffir" lime if you can get it otherwise ordinary lime will do fine)
5 Black pepper corns
1 Tablespoon of coriander seeds
1 Teaspoon of cumin seeds
2 Teaspoons of fish sauce
1 Generous teaspoon of fermented shrimp paste or "kapi", as it is known (this stuff is STRONG!)

Now, I know this seems like a lot of chillies, but don't worry, this is simply the proportions we need to get the correct basic paste mixture (we decide how hot the final dish is going to be later)-

2. Whizz it up (or spend 25 minutes grinding (choice is yours)) then immeditately put it into a totally airtight container and pop it in the fridge...

3. The next thing to do is to wash up your blender (right away) or it may accumulate the same delicate aroma as the paste (you'll know what I mean when you do it), so get it all properly clean now
3. If you have the time, give the paste one nights rest to let the flavours really work into each other ;)
4. (Gordon Ramsay Voice) - Traditional Thai Red Curry Paste - Done... ;)

Note - this paste will keep for a month in the fridge, so you can comfortably make it *well* in advance of the dish itself...one thing though, make the container airtight as I said, if not, well...your milk/cheese (anything in there, in fact, that is sorbant and mild) may not be quite the same again... ;)


Traditional Thai Chicken Red Curry Recipe

1. Okay, so you are now ready to start cooking, ...You'll need the following (for each portion) -

1 Large (or two small) neatly trimmed chicken breasts (cut into bite-sized pieces, get free-range if you can, local free range is ideal)
Half a tin of coconut milk (you can get it in Tesco now)
Half a teaspoon of lime zest, "kaffir" if you can (for bonus points ;)
About ten large leaves of sweet basil (fresh)
2 Tablespoons of fish sauce
1 Inch square chunk of palm sugar
A little splash of vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon of fresh coriander leaves (for the garnish)
Your fresh homemade paste from the fridge

Add - (and this is essential) - Lots of Basmati Rice
(I'll leave the cooking method for that up to the side of your chosen packet though)

2. Heat up a medium-sized frying pan...Add your dash of oil and between 1 and 3 tablespoons of the red curry paste (bear in mind, one tablespoon is *very spicy*, 3 tablespoons is traditional Thai and will most likely induce a fatal heart attack in anyone unaccustomed to the raw power (start small, you'll still *love* it, and work your way up (next time you cook) if you feel the need)...Fry it fast, keep it moving around so it cooks evenly, and don't let it burn...

3. While the Curry paste is cooking, quickly shred the basil and crush the palm sugar, now, at the first hint of the fine fragrance (not burning, no black bits please...if you are in any doubt as to when the fragrance is present you can normally tell because all non-curry eaters will now have left the kitchen (if not the house) because of the strong aroma) immediately add the coconut milk and let that simmer until you see oil forming around the edge -

4. Now, add all of the rest of the ingredients and slow the cooking down to an energetic simmer

5. Turn your chicken regularly and cook for a couple of minutes (until the chicken is obviously done) the time to this will vary depending on how small you made the chunks, but it's no more than 5 minutes (this is a lightning dish to cook)...

6. Serve over the rice, make sure you pour all the sauce over too, it's wonderful soaked into the rice, and garnish with a generous handfull of shredded coriander leaves...

7. Traditional Thai Chicken Red Curry - Done...

Enjoy... ;)

Congratulations MVL et al...

...baby Oliver born healthy and plump yesterday at 1130hrs... :)

The Countryman, North Petherwin, Devon - review

Right, forget September, whip yourselves back to August 29th (so little time for blogging in this busy world!)...after a succession of criminally overcooked steaks (elsewhere) we fell back on an old favorite...the *awesome* Countryman pub in North Petherwin (it's right near the Tamar Otter Sanctuary, follow the signs from Launceston and you'll pass it on the right)...a classic Devon sunset preceded the glorious feast...

- Flyingpops' was off seeing her old mate Sam (I'd spent the day playing "Field Commander" on the PSP, reclining on the bed making a start on "Inside Hitler's Bunker" in the caravan and not drinking *too* much ;) so I was companioned by her folks for *certainly* the finest meal of the break (and this includes Rick in Padstow) - (oh sorry, that sunset, the landscape *pulled* me across the road to take the shot) -

- now, I got a bit carried away when I saw the menu, I freely admit it, quite what possessed me I don't know, but I gleefully (and probably greedily) ordered the King Prawns with garlic...quite failing to consider the logistics of dealing with said dish being, as I was, in posession of a broken finger...

...suffice it to say, I left the fingerbowl and napkin quite exhausted by my inelegant ministrations...

...and now (drumroll please) the main course...

This was (and I don't know these guys from Adam) (and I have eaten many, many cuts of beef steak the *world* over) quite honestly the BEST STEAK I HAVE EVER EATEN, going straight in at number one (sorry Cologne T-Bone)!

Fillet Steak "a la Countryman" is a *dream*, a BIG FAT CUT (this stuff costs a fortune and the portion was extremely generous), lovingly cooked, the cut means the moisture stays firmly inside...this redefines "melt in the mouth"...my pallet sang along with the orchestra until the meat was all gone...I'd drive down there (5 hours from where I live) for another one...

Nuff said...

Well, alright one more comment - only problem? The veg was boiled into utter desolation...

Caledonian Road Lorry Crash - aftermath

Brought the proper camera into work today to check out the aftermath of the lorry crash that happened on Friday, and it was actually suprisingly little -

- I mean, the railing is a mess, a couple of panes of glass are missing -

- and the sign has taken a bit of a blow -

- but frankly, I think even if you were sat enjoying your breakfast right in the window you might well have got away without a scratch!

I *think* the cafe might have been saved by the hole in the ground, perhaps when the front wheels fell down there it grounded the lorry just in the nick of time...

Launceston Steam Railway and Castle

So on to one of the highlights of the break, the (much required) inactive stint of the last few days passed, batteries recharged, we decided to go exploring (this was on the bank holiday monday) around Launceston, which we have driven through in the car at least 20 times and never bothered to actually stop (other than to fill up with unleaded)...it's got a couple of really good things to see as well, firstly the LSR -

- which is a beautiful little narrow guage railway, first opened in 1865 (to form part of the GWR) providing services as far a Plymouth and Padstow lasting around a hundred years, it was reopened in the early 80's running with a rescued train from the Welsh slate industry -

- it's now looking quite mature - a lovingly well tended station, cafe and works to explore -

- a number of engines -

- which shuttle regularly along (a small part of) the route of the original line through the Cornish countryside (past lots of farm animals, a few streams, lots of hills and a couple of "request stops", one of which, at a little farm, a pair of old ladies waved the train down and hopped aboard in order to get back into town (charming!)) all the way to "Newmills" which (unfortunately) is a blantant tourist trap (you even have to pay the entrance fee to buy a cup of tea, or walk along the river) -

- so we hung about while they turned the train round and enjoyed the journey back into town...

- where we stopped to enjoy the 2nd attraction of the day - Launceston Castle (formerly Dunheved) -

- it's a massive Mott and Bailey, originally constructed from wood on a natural rise after the Norman conquest -

- (it's a *serious* rise) -

- the view from the top is absolutely staggering, but it was *really* windy, and the stonework looked rather, well, ruined, so I didn't stay too long, amazing though...

- shot this one, feeling a bit more secure, on the way down -

- then we spent a bit of time exploring the town itself, loads of shops, but only one was open (it being a bank holiday), a charity shop, wherein (had to nick it out of the window) I scored a book called "Tragically, I was an only twin", containing all Peter Cook's notable works, which I consumed in about half a day (and was hilarious... ;)

In more up to date news, Saturday we went and watched Dad enjoying his birthday present (learning to drive steam trains at the Bluebell railway), then we nipped to Laughton to see VodQueen (et al) and watched a succession of people trying to rescue a tank which had got stuck while mucking about on the 4x4 playground (pics later), Sunday watched the Grand Prix (Italy/Schu retiring/very exciting) then over to Flyingpops' folks for a fantastic birthday dinner for Flyingpops mum... ;)

Update - Not sure Sushi is the best thing for breakfast... ;(

Lorry crash - Caledonian Road

The road is closed, three fire engines and two police cars attending, the driver came round the corner, crashed into the one on the left and then parked his cab in the little cafe on the right!

Update - News story here!

Cornwall update - Widemouth Bay and the Raven Surf School

And so to the 27th...and to the beach at Widemouth bay for a 2-3ft messy day (surf-wise), couldn't get into the water myself thanks to the finger, not that it would have been worth it, but still got a few nice snaps (even mit handicap)...

- most notable event of the day was right at the start (unfortunately), and this is after *years* of frequenting Widemouth bay, is the very peculiar behaviour of the young lady left in charge of the Raven surf school van (http://www.ravensurf.co.uk) who asked (hilariously) if we would move our camper and car in case they needed to move their van, this was petty, and funny for the following reasons -

• We *hadn't* blocked them in
• She was immediately aggressive and nervous, to the point that she really looked embarassed by what she was saying (Why? Was she instructed by someone to be objectionable? She was certainly very uncomfortable...)
• We spoke to the parking guy (as advised by her when we expressed our disbelief) and he said "As far as I'm concerned you can park whereever you like, they don't own the car park, you have as much right to be here as they do"...
• They have been there day-after-day doing several hour long late afternoon surf lessons forever and never needed to urgently move before...(and this was early in the morning with a largely empty car park)...
• The minute we moved (and I *told* her - "Sure, we'll move if you insist, but I suspect you'll be saying this to people all day, won't you love..?") a stream of further cars then materialised exactly where we were parked...
• In the end we left well before them *anyway*

Looks like taking up a career in surfing didn't manage to chill her out...perhaps an anger management course is in order, or a change of career, she obviously isn't suited to the lifestyle...(silly bunny ;)

Would you *really* like your introduction to the world of surfing to be from a flapping worrier, or a chilled out surf dude?

...and anyway, as I said, the surf was lame, quite how you could justify a surfing training session when there basically wasn't any is a bit of a mystery...you can see how packed the beach was...Anyway, nuff said I guess...

- I had a little paddle, water was absolutely freezing -

- and on it's way out when I was down there...strong coastal wind though, check out the "sea mist" in the background...(Private joke) ;)

Cornwall update - Boscastle

So, August 26th (Saturday) saw us take a drive to Boscastle. It's been a while since I've been back (it was a total mess last time I was there, only about 2 shops open) since "The Flood" and seeing it from the top of the rise it suddenly becomes abundantly clear quite what an area of land was available to the storm...plenty to drown that tiny little valley, in fact, seeing it again in context it's incredible that it hasn't happened before (or since), quite honestly... :0

...it's strange, but wandering the streets now, it looks like a clone of the original, the same, but somehow not...it's been rebuilt (in fact there are still bulding sites around the place) to look the same as it did, but the effect that time had on the buildings has been lost, so it's interesting from the point of view of seeing what Boscastle may have been like when it was first established as a fishing community I guess...

..of course there are still a couple of fishing boats in the harbour -

- and some evidence of lobster catching (at least) -

- but the towns income is largely based on the tourist trade (bolstered, ironically by the flood that wiped the charming buildings into the sea) -

- we climbed the cliffs, but I get terribly nervous on scree covered, slippery, narrow paths that meander irresponsibly close to precipitous chasm and sharp rock far, far below...(so the visit was fleeting)...
That evening I tried a different steak in the clubhouse, this time asking for "Medium Rare", and, well, judge for yourself... ;)

Cornwall update - Bude and Books...

So, first Friday of the holiday (25th August) saw a lot of reading taking place (finished Marching Powder by Rusty Young, which is just an incredible story of what it's like to be a black "Inglés" stuck in a Bolivian Prison on drug smuggling charges, and the answer is - absolutely *nothing* like you imagine, trust me! Have a go, great story... ;)

We nipped into Bude for a bit more shopping, and to see how the place had changed, but it was much the same (cyber-cafe is gone, but the Library provides free access to all, so no suprise there really)...saw this guy who looked suspiciously like a Postie leading his Donkey and dog entourage around town (loaded with post bags)...no idea what he was up to though, might have been emptying the parking meters... ;)

Enjoyed a spectacular sun set that evening while enjoying a few drinks with Flyingpops' folks, think I might get this printed out large for the living room wall...Tesco do a bargain basement "Canvas printing" service now, check it out here...tempting neh?

Then had (as I mentioned before) a slightly overcooked steak in the clubhouse for tea, but I covered it in horseradish anyway (being in that kind of mood), so all was well...

Hedley Wood - campsite review

Right, let's start playing catch-up (again!), this time set your wayback machine for the 24th August, destination "Hedley Wood Caravan and Camping Site, Bridgerule" (put on Trip-a-Tron proof shades before clicking that link btw ;)...

Now, Bridgerule is a funny old place, postcode-wise it's in Devon, but you don't get the "Welcome to Devon" sign until after it, and you don't get the "Welcome to Cornwall" sign until you leave it going the other way, so officially, I guess, it's in a kind of "no-mans-land" lurking on the front line between the two counties...it's a nice location too, very quiet, great views down to the awesome surfing beach at Widemouth, and a short drive to Bude, (the beautiful) Boscastle and (the historic) Launceston...there is also a fairly well appointed farm shop, stocking local produce only a short drive down the A39...so all very good, we have spent many, many peaceful and happy holidays on this site (and as such probably (and I must warn you) qualify as "old lags" rather than proper customers, I guess)...

We set off just before 5am, zoomed down the A303/A30 and then cut North through Launceston arriving on site in record time (about 3.5 hours), Flyingpops' folks were playing scout and had already set up base-camp on site, so we radioed ahead and supplies were waiting for us in the form of tea/coffee and bacon sarnies/toast when we arrived, a request was sent to the site authorities to bring up our mobile quarters ASAP and then we settled down to try and get into the holiday spirit...

EIGHT HOURS (and *three* phone calls) later the caravan finally appears on the horizon...now, I'm perfectly well aware that "life moves at a different pace in the South West", and from thence comes *much* of the area's attraction, however, to spend nearly the whole first day of your holiday sat around with a ludicrously overloaded car was frankly, well, a little bit annoying for us, so, the nice (but stressed) looking guy props it all up and drives away thinking "job done"...Flyingpops and Dad enter the caravan and -

• It's not exactly clean (so, no moans, as we are unofficially renting it, the cleaning products come out, and the dead insects and grime are rapidly removed)
• The bed is broken (so another phone call, several visits with tape measures and various bits of wood, and *finally* we have somewhere to sleep!)
• Hurrah(!)

...anyway, moan-stick down for a minute...we put the gazebo up, unpacked all our stuff into the caravan, turned the car back *into* a car and were good to go...phew...so we nipped to the local Morrisons to grab some supplies, got the fridge up and running and finally settled down to some decent relaxation...

...Since my last visit (as I said, we've been there a number of times before) the dreadful, spider filled toilet/shower block has been totally revamped (although not quite finished at time of writing) -

- with at least a 50% functioning rate on the washing up facilities(!) -

- for supper, being a bit on the sleepy side after our early start we headed down to the club house...

- I went for the Cottage pie which was 15% cheese, 45% mashed potato and 40% mince, so, alright, but not up to the standards I had come to expect having eaten here before and be aware you can't count on the steaks not to be rather overdone (even "rare", in my experience, seemed to come to table verging on the "well done", tut...) (chips are flawless though) -

- there are also signs, as the site begins it's "Lebensraum"-style expansion over local farmland, that bigger isn't necessarily better, one immediately obvious incident of vandalism, what is wrong with some of these new people? -

- and we heard tell of one (totally out of character) robbery on site via camp grapevine, but again, this is unpreciedented in any previous experience -

- back to the positive side, the new fields are lush and huge, circled by a wonderful "dog walk", which doubles as an awesome mountain bike off-road course, the headgerows were full of lushous blackberry, ripe for the picking, the lower bar area sports probably the largest sea-water fish-tank I have ever seen outside a proper aquarium(!) full of waving polyps -

- and exotic fish -

- the charm *definitely* hasn't left the place, but it's starting to look like a bit more harsh management might be required (as the place grows) to keep it as perfect as it has been all these years... ;)

It's a dog friendly site (as long as owners are prepared to clear up after their little darlings), and kids are free to run riot, it's probably the most family friendly site I have ever stayed on, and also one of the most relaxed *and* relaxing places to spend your time in the South West...the staff are largely genuinely caring, laid back (for good *and* for bad!) and the surf is just minutes away...

You could do a whole *lot* worse...definitely check it out... ;)

Home now...

...exhausted, the A30 and and A303 were at a standstill all the way, set off about 1pm and literally only just walked through the door...

Worst. Journey. Ever.

Pics later... ;)