International Supper Club: Thailand
Early on in our relationship, when we were living in Tulsa, Guy and I moved in together. When we met, I had just left my job as a teacher in Oklahoma, and he was a law student. Times were tough, y’all. We were broke as hell.
I still think our relationship is as strong as it is today because we had to figure out the tough financial stuff early on. So, our weekly dinner menu relied on what I could put together with mere pennies, OR, our saving grace, gift cards to restaurants around town. Going out to eat was (and still is!) one of our favorite things to do together. We’re both social creatures and love good food. Guy is an amazing story-teller and during our nights out, we learned so much about each other, grew so much and for those few hours that night, we didn’t think about money struggles or stress about anything.
One day, knowing our struggles, my dad gave us a gift card to The Tropical, a local Thai restaurant we’d somehow never heard of. He’d been working closely with the owners and learned that the recipes on the menu were directly from the chef’s family in southern Thailand. It was tucked away off a busy street. The entrance was through gardens of herbs, peppers, eggplants, and other veggies which told us this place was going to be fresh. It was a step above our normal restaurants, and it felt like a fancy date. That was a night that really stood out to me in our relationship. We felt important there, as a couple. It felt like a restaurant that was so out of reach for us, but there we were at a big table eating Panang curry, drinking cans of Thai beer and wine by the glass, never something we could have done on a normal night out. Looking back, that night was the first real “date night” I remember. We were so impressed with the gardens, and walked around in awe, as we had just built our first garden together as well. Our love of gardening has obviously blossomed and grown over the years, and I remember how I felt seeing her fresh basil and being so inspired to have a chef’s garden of my own someday. It’s still a life goal, always in progress.
So, the dish I wanted to cook to represent Thailand was an easy choice. The meal I ordered that date night and never forgot, Panang Curry!
A few notes: I grow kaffir lime in my yard, so I had it on hand. Check your local Asian market for anything you can’t find locally. Be sure the can of coconut milk you find is a thick liquid, not the type that has a hard top and coconut water below. Whole Foods has a great everyday can, but I was able to find a nice Thai company. I’ve linked a few products in the ingredients list below.
PANANG CURRY
2 - 2 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size hunks
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon coconut oil
4 ounces (1 can) red curry paste
1 tablespoon peanut butter
12 kaffir lime leaves
1 can thick coconut milk, unsweetened
1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce
¼ cup Thai basil leaves or sweet basil
Crush the kaffir lime leaves to help release their oils. I roll them together then use a spoon to crush all the way down the roll. After they’re crushed, thinly slice them and set aside.
Heat the coconut oil In a 14-inch wok over medium-high heat. Add the onions. Sauté for 1 minute, then add the peppers and garlic. Sauté another 2-3 minutes.
Make a well in the center of the wok and add the red curry paste and peanut butter to the center. Sauté the curry mix for 2-3 minutes.
Add the kaffir lime leaves, coconut milk, and fish sauce. Stir everything together.
Stir in the chicken and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the basil leaves.
Serve with jasmine rice! Cook according to the package directions, but I always make mine with veggie stock instead of water, and add in a couple tablespoons of high quality butter.
ชนแก้ว!
(chon gaew!)
