Preparing a crab curry is an exercise in culinary diplomacy, wherein the challenge lies in negotiating the distinct flavors of land and sea into a cohesive understanding and capturing the perfect balance. This golden gastronomic horizon is where the delicate whispers of the ocean meet earth’s bold declarations – and at its core is a straightforward question: How do we craft a curry that testifies, via crab, to the ocean’s bounty, yet remains grounded in the earth’s aromatic flora, with roots like galangal and turmeric?
In addition, it is challenging to create a curry that is luxuriously creamy, yet light and not too greasy; where the crab’s delicate natural sweetness surfaces as a pleasant sea breeze, levitating above the pitfalls of being too fishy or overly sweetened. Another hurdle is achieving the precise color – produced by red chilies, golden turmeric and peppercorns – that reflects the culinary traditions of southern seashore fishing communities. I like mine set to about a 70:30 ratio of yellow to red and, if using black peppercorns, with a deep brown undertone.
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In coastal communities and in Siamese cuisine, smoke-dried fish (ปลาย่างรมควัน) is a staple that preserves well and is easy to prepare. Freshwater fish such as snakehead fish (ปลาช่อน), iridescent shark catfish (ปลาสวาย), and various species of gourami (ปลาฉลาด), as well as sheatfishes (ปลาเนื้ออ่อน) or pla soi – a small freshwater fish in the Cyprinidae family (ปลาสร้อย) – are cleaned and marinated in a mixture of salt and sugar, and then smoked over a fire fueled by charcoal and rice straw. The hot-smoke process continues until the fish are thoroughly dried, a process that infuses the fish with phenolic compounds, which are natural preservatives and potent antioxidants that prevent the rancidity of fish lipids. The fish’s savoriness, coupled with the smoky flavor, acts as a culinary mediator between the oceanic flavors of the seafood and the earthy and spicy elements of the curry paste. It must be noted that the taste of the smoked fish should never overpower the palate and should remain in the distant layers of the dish.
Spring onions, added for their distinct herbal qualities, complete the dish. The mild, sweet and slightly pungent aroma of the spring onion complements the heat from the peppercorns and the spiciness of the chilies, adding a final layer of complexity to the dish and gracefully rounding out the interplay between heat and sweetness.
[Add] | [Omit] |
---|---|
Fresh turmeric (ขมิ้นชัน) | |
smoke-dried fish (all varieties) (ปลาย่างรมควัน) | |
black peppercorns (พริกไทยดำ) |
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Ingredients
- 400 gr steamed crab meat (เนื้อปูนึ่ง)
- 1 cup spring onion (ต้นหอม) sliced into segments
- 1/2 cup coconut cream (หัวกะทิ)
- coconut milk (หางกะทิ) as needed
- chicken stock (น้ำสต๊อกไก่) as needed
For the curry paste:
- 1 tablespoon dried Thai bird’s eye chili (phrik kee noo) (พริกขี้หนูแห้ง) used dry
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (เกลือทะเล)
- 2 tablespoons lemongrass (ตะไคร้)
- 1 tablespoon galangal (ข่า) thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon kaffir lime zest (ผิวมะกรูด)
- 1 teaspoon coriander roots (รากผักชี) scraped, washed and chopped
- 1 tablespoon Thai garlic (กระเทียมไทย)
- 1 1/2 tablespoon shallots (หอมแดง)
- 1/3 tablespoon fresh turmeric (ขมิ้นชัน) about 10 thin slices
- 1 teaspoon fermented shrimp paste (kapi)(กะปิย่างไฟ) grilled
- 1 1/2 tablespoons smoke-dried fish (all varieties) (ปลาย่างรมควัน)
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns (พริกไทยดำ) roasted and ground
Seasoning:
- 1 1/2 parts fish sauce (น้ำปลา)
- 1/2 part palm sugar (น้ำตาลมะพร้าว) optional
Instructions
Prepare the crab:
- Clean and steam the crab.
- Extract only the meat.
Prepare the curry paste:
- Start by pounding the dried chilies.
- Gradually add the other ingredients, moving from the driest to the wettest.
- Pound the paste until it is smooth with a rounded aroma.
Cooking the curry:
- In a brass wok, heat coconut cream until it thickens.
- Add the prepared curry paste.
- Fry the paste until it loses its rawness.
- Add plain water to stop the frying before too much oil separates; in contrast to spicy curry, it is important to minimize oil separation at this stage.
- Add chicken stock to achieve your desired consistency.
Seasoning:
- Start by adding fish sauce for saltiness.
- Once satisfied with the saltiness, add palm sugar as indicated.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Final steps:
- Add coconut cream and the prepared crab meat.
- Warm the meat through.
- Add spring onions, sliced into 1.5-inch (4 cm) lengths.
Rice Seasoned with Young Tamarind Relish, Sweetened Fish and Pickled Morning Glory (ข้าวคลุกน้ำพริกมะขามอ่อน ผักบุ้งดอง ปลาแห้งผัดหวาน และ ปลาดุกย่าง; Khaao Khlook Naam Phrik Makhaam Aawn Phakboong Daawng Bplaa Haaeng Phat Waan Lae Bplaa Dook Yaang)
Seasoned rice dishes have been a staple of rice-consuming societies almost since the first grains were cultivated. Adapted according to local resources, traditions and individual preferences, seasoned rice dishes are relished and savored across all walks of life. Within Siamese society, these dishes offer insight into the flavor instincts and eating habits across all demographics, revealing which food items were locally available and valued.
In this delicious seasoned rice recipe from the kitchens of the daughter of King Chulalongkorn, Princess Yaovabha Bongsanid (พระเจ้าบรมวงศ์เธอ พระองค์เจ้าเยาวภาพงศ์สนิท) (1884-1934), the Princess uses a variety of common preserved and inexpensive ingredients, clearly drawing inspiration from the cuisine of the Central Plains with nods to the rural and coastal living atmosphere.
Chuu Chee Curry of Stuffed Banana Chilies with Pork, Shrimp and Crab Meat (ฉู่ฉี่พริกสอดไส้ ; chuu chee phrik yuaak saawt sai)
This chuu chee features avocado-green banana chilies and the pinkish mixture of pork, shrimp and crab meats. The chilies are sliced open and stuffed with a mixture of the meats, which is seasoned with the basic saam gluuhr (สามเกลอ) paste – the Siamese trio of coriander roots, Thai garlic and white peppercorns. The stuffed chilies are then steamed before being cooked in a thick, reddish, coconut cream-based curry. The liquids collected in the tray during the steaming process are packed with the light sweet fruitiness of the banana chilies; these liquids are reserved and added to the broth, producing a bright and light-bodied dish.
Most Thai curry dishes call for freshly prepared curry paste that is best used fresh just before cooking.
Here is a delicious and simple exception – Stir-fried crab meat in curry powder, milk and eggs – A popular Thai seafood recipe which is unique in its use of commercially available curry powder.
The dish was first created by Teochew Chinese chefs in the numerous Chinese restaurants in Bangkok who used to cater to the working class of Thai-Chinese immigrates, that came to the Kingdom from the Guangdong province in the southern coast of China.
c1933 Water-based spicy curry of fatty chicken and seven spices (แกงเผ็ดไก่น้ำมัน พ.ศ. 2476; gaaeng phet gai naam man)
This water-based, spicy chicken curry is made with corn-yellow rendered chicken fat instead of coconut cream. Dark reddish-brown in color, this full-bodied and fatty beak-to-tail curry presents the chicken identity and personality in both a corporeal and tasty manner. Spices such as cardamom, nutmeg, mace and clove are added into the curry paste to temper the gamey-irony flavor of the offal and deodorize the meat, resulting in a luscious dish that is beautifully layered with textures and flavors.
Perfumed Braised Beef and Potato Curry with Three Gingers, Thai Basil and Bitter Orange (แกงเนื้อใส่เปราะหอมสดและส้มซ่า; Gaaeng Neuua Sai Bpraw Haawm Soht Lae Sohm Saa)
Discovered in a memorial book for the funeral of SubLt. Soophoht Jeungpraphaa (ร.ต. สุพจน์ จึงประภา) (1925-1966), this beef and potato curry dish unites two distinct curry styles: Massaman curry, known for its sweet and warming complexity of dry spices, punctuated by the vibrancy of bitter orange juice; and gaaeng phet (แกงเผ็ด) spicy curry, dominated by a basil herbal identity. The recipe maintains a sense of traditional elegance despite the startlingly unusual culinary fusion; as these two cooking styles are woven together, their spiced comfort, earthy warmth, citrusy freshness, and cool herbaceous notes meld in a gentle refinement. Drawing upon familiar and novel elements, this curry is both comforting and stimulating.
Massaman curry typically presents as a deep, rich dish. Its unique flavor profile is derived predominantly from a range of dry spices that point to its Persian-inspired roots in Siamese cuisine, along with a curry paste that exudes a sense of freshness. The dried chilis are roasted to deepen their color; the rest of the ingredients, such as the shallots, garlic and dry spices, are roasted too, individually, before being pounded into the paste. Conversely, the gaaeng phet (แกงเผ็ด) curry integrates dry spices more sparingly and is known for flavor qualities that are based on a phrik khing (พริกขิง) paste made of fresh aromatics and a basil herbal identity.
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