Fish sauce is a traditional ingredient in Thai and other Southeast Asian cuisines. It is made from fermented anchovies or other seafood, and has a pungent smell, but when a small amount is employed in a recipe it adds a bracing, salty flavor that calls your taste buds to attention. If you like Thai food, you probably like fish sauce. Start with a small amount, and add more from there.
The sauce of this curry is fairly thin. If you want a thicker sauce, stir a couple of teaspoons of cornstarch into 2 tablespoons of water and add with the coconut milk. Either way, you’ll want to serve it with plenty of rice to soak up the delicious liquid.
Thai Green Pork Curry
Start to finish: 30 minutes. Servings: 6
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vegetable or peanut oil
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons Thai green curry paste
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 red bell pepper, slivered
½ cups chicken broth
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
1 tablespoon fish sauce or soy sauce
2 cups small cauliflower florets
4 cups cubed pork loin
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
¾ cup slivered fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
6 cups hot cooked white or jasmine rice to serve
Lime wedges to serve
In a large pot over medium high heat, melt the butter with the oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the curry paste and ginger and stir until you can smell the spices. Stir in the bell pepper, then add the broth and coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer (do not let the mixture boil or it might separate or curdle).