Andrea C.'s Menu

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon/15 ml vegetable oil
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
1 lemongrass stalk, halved crosswise
1/4 cup/60 g yellow curry paste
4 slices peeled fresh ginger
2 kaffir lime leaves
One 14-ounce/400-ml can unsweetened coconut milk
Four 6-ounce/185-g striped bass filets
Salt, to taste
8 ounces/225 g fresh spinach leaves
1/4 cup/5 g fresh cilantro leaves
Thai Coconut Rice (see recipe)

Method:

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the shallot and sauté for 2 minutes or until soft. Using the back of a large knife, gently pound the lemongrass to bruise it all over.

Add the lemongrass, curry paste, ginger and kaffir lime leaves to the shallots. Sauté for 1 minute or until fragrant.Add the coconut milk and stir to blend in the curry paste. Simmer uncovered for a further 2 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

Add the striped bass to the curry sauce. Cover the pan with a lid and cook over medium-low heat for about 8 minutes. You will know the fish is done when a toothpick can easily pierce through the flesh of the fish without any resistance.

Discard the ginger, lime leaves and lemongrass. Season the curry to taste with salt, if necessary. Using a metal spatula, transfer the fish to a plate. Return the curry sauce to a simmer over medium heat. Add the spinach to the curry sauce and toss for 2 minutes or just until the spinach wilts.

Mound the spinach in the center of 4 large dinner plates, dividing equally. Place the fish atop the spinach and garnish with the cilantro. Serve with Thai Coconut Rice.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups/250 g uncooked jasmine rice
1 cup/225 ml cold water
3/4 cup/150 ml unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon/1.5 g salt
2 teaspoons/about 3 g dried coconut, lightly toasted, for garnish

Method:

Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold running water until the water runs clear from the rice. Drain.

Combine 1 cup/225 ml fresh cold water, coconut milk and salt in a heavy based large saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a near boil. Reduce the heat to low. Add the rice and stir constantly for 1 minute.

Cover and simmer over low heat without stirring for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork, then cover and continue cooking 5 minutes longer or until the rice is almost tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Remove from the heat and let the rice stand covered for 10 minutes or until the rice is tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed. Lightly fluff up the rice with a fork. Transfer the rice to bowls and garnish with the toasted coconut and serve.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 small kabocha squash (each about 1 pound/450 g)
1/2 cup/115 ml thick unsweetened coconut cream
3 large eggs
4 ounces/115 g palm sugar, grated (about 1/2 packed cup)
2 fresh or frozen pandanus leaves, coarsely chopped
Pinch of salt

Method:

To prepare the squash:

Using a large sharp knife, cut the squash in half. Carefully scoop out the seeds and clean the squash cavity with a spoon.

To make the custard: 

In a large bowl, combine the coconut cream, eggs, sugar, pandanus leaves and salt. Using a whisk, stir the mixture for about 2 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved.

Pour the custard mixture through a fine strainer and into a 2-cup/600 ml measuring cup, and discard the pandanus leaves. Place the hollowed squash in the basket of a bamboo steamer.  Pour the custard into the squash, dividing equally and filling them about 1/4 inch/.5 cm from the top.

To steam the squash:

Fill a wok with 2 cups/450 ml of water and bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat. Place the steamer basket containing the squash in the wok and over the boiling water. Reduce the heat to medium-low. 

Cover the steamer basket and steam the squash over barely simmering water for about 40 minutes, checking every 20 minutes or so to ensure that the water does not boil dry and that the water simmers very gently, adjusting the heat and adding more hot water if necessary. When done, the custard will be set but will still jiggle when gently shaken. As the custard cools it will become more firm. Remove the squash from the steamer basket and cool completely at room temperature. Cut the squash into quarters and serve on individual plates!