Thai Red Curry with Duck & Lychee
Author: 
Cuisine: Thai
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
Curry Paste
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • 5 to 10 dried red chillies
  • 2 cm knob of galangal, peeled
  • 6 kaffir limes leaves
  • 5 garlic clove (5 tsp ready-chopped garlic)
  • 5 shallot, peeled
  • 2 tablespoon coriander stalks
  • 2 lemongrass stalk, used the white part only, trimmed and cut into smaller pieces
  • 1 tbsp shrimp paste
  • 2 tsp sea salt (based on personal preference, can be added after adding of coconut milk and liquid)
Curry
  • Oil for cooking
  • 400 ml coconut milk
  • 150 ml chicken stock or 150 ml water
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce (optional, added last only if the curry is not flavourful enough)
  • 1 tsp palm sugar (optional, I omitted due to natural sweetness from lychee)
  • 6 pcs of lychee (cut into quarter each)
Duck
  • 2 x duck breasts
  • 2 x duck legs
  • sea salt
  • ground black pepper
Instructions
Curry
  1. Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry pan under high heat until fragrant
  2. Add the toasted seeds and the remaining ingredients for the curry paste into a blender and blend until smooth. Add oil if liquid is required for smoothing the paste during blending.
  3. Heat the pan and add cooking oil. omit the oil if oil are added during blending of the curry paste
  4. Add the curry paste and stir fry for about a minute or 2 until fragrant.
  5. Pour in coconut milk and chicken stock or water and stir well.
  6. Taste and if require, add salt, fish sauce and palm sugar.
  7. Let the curry simmer while you pan sear the duck
  8. Add in the cut lychee 5 mins before serving.
Duck
  1. Heat a clean frying pan. Keep it dry
  2. Score the skin of the duck in criss-cross pattern and season generously with salt and black pepper.
  3. Place the duck with skin-side down in the dry, hot frying pan.
  4. Immediately turn down the heat and cook over a very low heat to render down the fats. About 8 to 10 mins - still on skin side down
  5. Turn up the heat and fry until the skin is crispy.
  6. Turn the duck over to cook the other side for about 3 to 4 mins.
Plating
  1. Scoop and divide the curry into 4 serving bowls and placed the duck on top of the curry
  2. Garnish with coriander, lime halves and edible flowers(optional)
Recipe by eckitchensg at http://eckitchensg.com/2015/07/thai-red-curry-with-duck-lychee/