Hot red duck curry and Thai green bean and peanut salad. Photo: Katie Quinn Davies
Win over friends, housemates and gentlemen friends with this easy and delicious duck curry. Match it with fancy beer and sit back and enjoy the accolades.
HOT RED DUCK CURRY
A one-pot curry gets the night firing, and cuts out excess washing up.
3-4 tbsp Thai red curry paste
270g can coconut cream
6 Thai (or apple) eggplants, quartered
½ bunch Thai basil, leaves removed and stalks finely chopped (discard woody ends)
225g can bamboo shoots, drained
12 cherry tomatoes
1 Chinese barbecued duck, boned and meat cut into 4cm pieces
1 tbsp fish sauce
steamed rice or roti, to serve
Cook paste in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat, stirring in just the thick cream from the top of the coconut cream can. (If there is none, add 2 tbsp coconut cream.) Fry for 3 minutes or until bubbling and separating a little. Add eggplant, remaining coconut cream, basil stalks, bamboo shoots and 1 cup water, and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, duck and basil leaves; cook for 5-10 minutes. Add water to make more sauce, if desired. Stir in fish sauce. Serve with rice or roti.
THAI GREEN BEAN AND PEANUT SALAD
Something fresh to cut through the curry? Try a crunchy, sweet, sour and salty salad.
In a medium bowl, combine 3 large tomatoes, deseeded and chopped; 100g green beans, finely sliced lengthways; 10 basil leaves, roughly chopped; ¼ cup coriander leaves, roughly chopped; and 2 tbsp unsalted chopped peanuts.
To make dressing, in a small bowl, combine 1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped; 3 tbsp fish sauce; 2 tbsp palm sugar, grated; juice of ½ lime; and 1 chopped garlic clove, and mix well. Toss into salad and serve with lime cheeks.
VICTORIAN BEER
Sommelier Laiana Ryan
Brewskies are the perfect match for curry, whether it be a crisp lager with a chicken korma or an India pale ale with a Thai red curry, and these three from Victoria fit the bill. Rule of thumb: it's okay to run out of curry, but not beer.
2 Brothers Kung Foo Rice Lager, Moorabbin (about $5 for 330ml)
Brothers Andrew and Dave Ong brought their love of unique craft beers back from their time in the USA, along with a micro-brewery, and have delivered a refreshing lager with citrus and lemongrass undertones. A real thirst quencher.
Bridge Road Brewers Bling India Pale Ale, Beechworth (about $4.50 for 330ml)
Bridge Road has been consistently producing some of the best brews in the country. This one is a monster of a beer with a mouthful of hops. Fantastic with spicy curry.
Prickly Moses Wheat Beer, Otway Ranges (about $4.20 for 330ml)
Rainwater from the surrounding rainforest is key to Otway Estate Winery and Brewery's beer. All their styles exhibit an incredible purity. Their wheat beer is nutty and clean, and coriander seed and orange peel add a fresh, acidic kick.
From: Sunday Life
