1teaspooncoriander seeds (malet phak chee) (เมล็ดผักชี) (S2)roasted and ground.
1teaspooncumin seeds (malet yeeraa) (เมล็ดยี่หร่า) (S3)roasted and ground.
Seasoning:
1partfish sauce (น้ำปลา)น้ำปลา
1/2partpalm sugar (น้ำตาลมะพร้าว)น้ำตาลมะพร้าว
tamarind paste (น้ำมะขามเปียก)if needed
Instructions
Cook the hairy-fruited eggplant-infused chicken stock:
Fill a cooking pot with chicken stock.
Cut the hairy-fruited eggplants into quarters and add them to the stock.
Simmer on low heat until you are satisfied with the sourness of the broth pulled out from the eggplants.
Add a pinch of salt and a pinch of granulated sugar to intensify the tart element.
Prepare the duck:
Using a sharp knife, score the skin of the duck breast.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add pork lard and garlic. Once hot, add the duck breast, skin-side down, and fry until the skin is golden brown.
Remove the duck breast from the skillet and discard the fat.
Place the duck breast back into the skillet.
Add the middle coconut cream and two sliced hairy-fruited eggplants to the skillet.
Bring the mixture to a simmer.
Cover the skillet with a lid; simmer over low heat until the duck is cooked through.
Once the duck is cooked, remove it from the skillet and slice it to your preferred thickness. Set aside.
Discard the braising liquids.
Prepare the curry paste:
An overview of the curry paste ingredients.
Roast and grind the spices, starting with the coriander seeds and cumin seeds. The spices are ground separately and kept separate until they are used in the dish.
De-seed the chilies and rehydrate them in hot water.
Pound the paste until it is smooth with a rounded aroma. Gradually add the other ingredients, from the driest to the wet. After pounding the chilies, add the lemongrass and galangal.
Add the kaffir lime zest.
Add the shallots and garlic.
Add the dried spices, and pound to a smooth paste. Start with the coriander seeds.
Add the roasted and ground cumin seeds.
Add the fermented shrimp paste (kapi) and continue pounding until a rounded aroma is achieved.
Remove the curry paste and set it aside. Wash the mortar and pestle with about one cup of plain water and reserve the liquids.
Cook the curry:
In a brass wok, heat the coconut cream until it thickens and oil appears. Scoop out a small portion to drizzle on top of the finished curry.
Add the curry paste.
Fry the paste until it loses its rawness.
Stop the frying with plain water and the liquids collected from cleaning the mortar. This is important, in order to separate the oil particles created during the paste frying process from the rest of the broth. At this stage, mix gently to avoid re-emulsification of the oil.
Add the duck meat.
Cook the curry until the duck is fully heated through.
Diluting the curry:
Dilute the curry with the hairy-fruited eggplant-infused chicken stock, adding as much as needed to get the desired sourness and the preferred curry consistency.
Seasoning:
Season to a salty leading with a sweet floor flavor profile – and do taste before seasoning! Start by seasoning the salty element using fish sauce.
When you are satisfied with the saltiness, add palm sugar at the ratio indicated, making sure to adjust the quantity based on the sweetness of the grapes.
The sourness of the hairy-fruited eggplant should suffice, but you can always add tamarind paste to adjust the sourness.
Plate and serve:
Put the curry into a serving bowl; drizzle thick coconut cream over it and serve!