Thai Seafood Stew
Once in a while, being indecisive does end up with good results. I remember I was preparing a meal for my mother and I couldn’t decide if I should make a classic French bouillabaisse or Thai coconut curry. Then I remembered eating in one restaurant in France where they served mussels with a Thai green curry broth. So, I thought, what the heck, give it a shot and combine French and Thai flavours.
Ingredients:
Cook time 30 minutes
1/2 kg mussels
1/2 kg shrimp
1/2 kg white fish (haddock or cod)
1 cup fennel, diced
1/2 cup onion
4 stalks lemon grass
2 cups coconut milk
2 tbsp garlic, minced
3 pieces cut in half galangal or ginger
1 tbsp peppercorns
5 lime leaves
1 tsp turmeric or saffron for colour
1 whole lime, wedged
Black Maple to taste
Instructions:
Dice the fennel and onions. Sautee them in a pan on medium heat with butter until they are translucent, about 5-8 minutes. Add your garlic and sauté for another 3 minutes. Add the coconut milk, galangal, crushed lemon grass, lime leaves and peppercorns. Allow things to simmer for 10 minutes to let the flavours infuse
Bring the heat to high, and then place the shrimp, mussels and clams in the pot. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Afterwards, use a perforated spatula to remove all the ingredients and set them aside but leave the liquid in the pot. Have the seafood in a covered container to keep them warm. Place the cod in the pot and simmer for 3 minutes. Once done, gently place the pieces of cod on top of the other ingredients and pour the remaining liquid. Top off with a dash of Black Maple.
Hint: This dish goes very well with jasmine-scented rice.