Curried Seafood with Coconut Milk

Curried Seafood with Coconut Milk

Serves 4

225g small ready-prepared squid
225g raw tiger prawns (jumbo shrimp)
400ml (1 2/3 cups) coconut milk
2 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded
30ml (2 Tbsp) Thai fish sauce
450g firm white fish fillets, skinned, boned and cut into chunks
2 fresh green chillies, seeded and finely chopped
2 Tbsp torn fresh basil or coriander (cilantro) leaves
squeeze of fresh lime juice

cooked Thai jasmine rice

For the Curry Paste:
6 spring onions (scallions), coarsely chopped
4 fresh coriander (cilantro) stems coarsely chopped, plus 3 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
4 kaffir lime leaves, shredded
8 fresh green chillies, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 lemon grass stalk, coarsely chopped
2.5cm piece fresh root ginger peeled and coarsely chopped
3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
15ml (1 Tbsp) vegetable oil

1. Make the curry paste. Put all the ingredients, except the oil, in a food processor and process to a paste. Alternatively, pound together in a mortar with a pestle. Stir in the oil.
2. Rinse the squid and pat dry with kitchen paper. Cut the bodies into rings and halve the tentacles, if necessary.
3. Heat a wok until hot, add prawns and stir-fry, without any oil, for about 4 minutes, until they turn pink.
4. Remove the prawns from the wok and leave to cool slightly, then peel off the shells, saving a few with shells on for the garnish. Make a slit along the back of each one and remove the black vein.
5. Pour the coconut milk into the wok, then bring to the boil over a medium heat, stirring constantly. Add 30ml (2 Tbsp) of curry paste, the shredded lime leaves and fish sauce and stir well to mix. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for about 10 minutes.
6. Add the squid, prawns and chunks of fish and cook for about 2 minutes, until the seafood is tender. Take care not to overcook the squid as it will become tough very quickly.
7. Just before serving, stir in the chillies and basil or coriander. Taste and adjust the flavour with squeeze of lime juice. Garnish with prawns in their shells, and serve with Thai jasmine rice.

Variations
# You can use any firm-fleshed white fish for this curry, such as monkfish, cod, haddock or John Dory.
# If you prefer, you could substitute shelled scallops for the squid. Slice them in half horizontally and add them with the prawns (shrimp). As with the squid, be careful not to overcook them.