Ask a chef: Ironic Cafe's massaman curry

Photo by Linda Robertson.
Photo by Linda Robertson.

Ask a Chef reveals the secrets of those superb dishes you ate in cafes and restaurants and wanted to try yourself. 

 

Ironic Cafe's massaman curry
Serves 4

Ingredients 

four medium potatoes, boiled and cut into quarters
20 green beans, blanched
1 cup roasted salted peanuts
1 can coconut milk
6 Tbsp (approx) of massaman curry paste*
splash of fish sauce (optional)

Braising stock

1 litre beef stock
175ml red wine
2 Tbsp chopped ginger
1 onion chopped
2 beef cheeks (600g) (these are best but blade, oxtail or shin beef is OK)

*Paste
(Makes approx 500g)

First ingredients

3 dried red chilli (more if you like it hot)
4 shallots, chopped
5 garlic cloves, chopped
2cm ginger, chopped
1 bag, lemon grass white end, chopped finely
40g blanched peanuts

Second ingredients

10g coriander seeds
10g cumin seeds
6 cloves
pinch of ground nutmeg
1 cinnamon quill
5g cardamom seeds

Third ingredients

30g tamarind pulp
20g sea salt
15g brown sugar
50g beef liquid
50g lime juice

To serve

four eggs, boiled and cut into halves
shrimp chips

 

Method

Paste

Fry first ingredients in pan with a little peanut oil until soft. Blitz in a food processor. Set aside.

In a separate frypan, slowly toast the second ingredients, except the nutmeg. Set aside.

Place the third ingredients in blender with first and second ingredients plus the nutmeg and blend until smooth. Note: This paste can be frozen.

Braising stock

Sear beef cheeks and place in an ovenproof dish.

Combine beef stock, red wine, chopped ginger and chopped onion and pour over beef cheeks. Braise in a 180degC oven for three hours.

While waiting for the stock, boil the potatoes and cut into quarters. Boil the eggs and cut into halves. Blanch the green beans.

When the stock is ready, combine the coconut milk and curry paste and heat in a saucepan.

Remove the beef cheeks from the ovenproof dish and pull apart, reserving the liquid.

Add beef cheeks, two cups of braising liquid and the fish sauce to the coconut milk and curry paste (add just enough braising liquid so that it is not too runny).

Add potatoes, beans and peanuts.

Garnish with boiled egg and shrimp chips on top.

Chefs tip: The secret to this great dish is the beef cheeks. They are absolutely delicious because running down the middle of each one is a great big tough piece of gristle, which, when cooked for more than two hours, turns into jelly and is a taste sensation.

This recipe may take a little time and effort but if you want to impress friends with an authentic Thai street-food meal you will not be disappointed with the flavours of this slow-cooked food.

 


Requested by Sanchia Lau, of Milton.

Supplied by Steve Wilson.

• If you have enjoyed a dish in an Otago cafe or restaurant and would like the recipe, write to Ask a Chef, Features, Otago Daily Times, PO Box 181, Dunedin, fax 474-7422, or email odt.features@odt.co.nz , including your name, address and a daytime telephone number, and we will request it.


Add a Comment