How can I make this curry given my list of ingredients?
I'm trying to recreate a dish I had at Alinea a while ago. Their forum actually had a good start for this dish:
The garnishes on the surface are Hawaiian volcanic salt, cucumber, garlic chips, fresh banana, young coconut, red onion, lime segments with zest, toasted cashews, and red chili pudding. The glass circle contains a basil seed-lime vinaigrette.
We press the herbs in between two pieces of rice paper to form the centerpiece. Once the frame is assembled the server drapes the flag over the frame. We cure the pork belly with salt, sugar and aromatics. It is cooked sous vide until tender, seared and shredded. We make a curry sauce from coconut, ginger, mint, lemongrass, thai chilis, kaffir lime, cardamom, coriander, and lime juice. We mix the curry with the shredded pork belly to make the ragu spooned over tableside by the service staff.
My question is, given the list of ingredients for the coconut curry but no sense of how to make it, how should I go about preparing this curry? Should I just toss everything in a pot an simmer for a while? Should I toast the spices? Sautee the lemongrass?
Best Answer
I don't know if this is how it is done at Alinea, but considering that it is geared towards a modernist dish, not a traditional Thai curry, this is what I would do:
(1) Pound the lemongrass. Toast and then then grind the coriander. Bruise the kaffir lime leaf. Leave those to infuse in the lime juice for at least one hour and up to overnight.
(2) Remove the lemongrass and lime leaf. Combine the infused lime juice with all of the other ingredients, including the coconut milk without heating. Puree. Salt to taste. Strain very thoroughly. If needed, thicken slightly with xanthan gum or ultratex (as they don't require heating).
I suggest this because I know @gachatz's philosophy is to avoid diluting or muddying flavors, and I think this approach would keep them very fresh and distinct.
Pictures about "How can I make this curry given my list of ingredients?"
What is the secret to a good curry?
To make a good curry, you have to cook quickly. Generally, you are going to fry, not boil, your curry. Adding cold base gravy to the pan will effectively cool the pan, halting the cooking process. By having your base gravy already simmering, it continues cooking the ingredients as soon as you add it to the pan.What are the main ingredients in Indian curry?
The spice blend most often used in an Indian curry is garam masala. One of the main ingredients in curry powder is turmeric. Other spices that can be incorporated include everything from ginger, cinnamon, garlic, and cloves to mustard seed, black pepper, and fennel seed.How do you make a tasty curry?
Add yogurt or lemon juice If you are looking for a tangy flavor in your dish you can add some lemon juice or yogurt at the end as well. This will make the curry tangy and make it more flavorful.What is the key ingredient in many curry?
A mixture of ground spices that is used as a base for many Indian dishes. Basic ingredients are typically cumin, coriander and turmeric, but other spices that may be included are peppercorns, mace, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, and nutmeg.Have you tried mixing your own curry paste at home? (ingredient list provided)
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