Dinner . . err Lunch #2

As I mentioned I typically spend most summer nights at a baseball field so I decided on those days that I'd make lunch my big meal of the day. This is easier for me to do than most as I work from home.  Today's dish was Red Curry Haddock with Joi Choi.

Once again started by going to Google and looking at several recipes.  Most recipes were using Bok Choy and suggested boiling the bok choy ahead of putting them into the stir fry.  I was planning on following their lead but when I tasted the raw joi choi I abandoned that idea as I found it very mellow and knew is would taste great in the stir fry.  It reminded me of a water chestnut and had that very clean flavour. I have learned two things from my thousands and thousands of hours watching the Food Network - season every step of the way and TASTE everything.  The tasting everything may sound so basic but I'm not sure we all do it and certainly not along the entire process of a recipe.  Or even more importantly tasting, what you can, in it's raw form so you really understand the flavour & texture.


I love curry for not just the flavour but I also like spicy, hot curry.  Most recipes I saw called for brown sugar in the sauce with the coconut milk and curry which I did add. I think I'd omit or back off in the amount next time as the dish was a little more sweet than spicy for my taste. 

The other addition to today's meal was the Thai Basil from my garden - yummy!!  I added it to the stir fry when I was cooking the vegetables and then some fresh in a chiffonade over the dish just before serving.  I served the dish over some brown rice so it was a very healthy lunch.

Back to work and here is hoping the rain clears up so we have baseball tonight!


Red Curry with Haddock and Joi Choi

1/2 onion (I used vidalia and maybe closer to 1/3), chopped
peanut oil
1 inch of fresh ginger, peeled & grated
1 can coconut milk
1 heaping T red curry paste (I added a little more)
1 T brown sugar
salt

peanut oil
2 filets of haddock

1 bunch Joi Choi
1/2 yellow bell pepper, sliced
4 oz crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 lime, juiced
1 bunch Thai basil
salt & pepper

Brown rice

I softened the onion in some oil (I use peanut oil in most of my Asian cooking) and then added the grated ginger and only cooked for a minute or so.  Add coconut milk, curry paste, brown sugar (if using) and some salt. Stir and bring to simmer until it thickens.

In saute pan, cook seasoned haddock fillets in peanut oil for a few minutes on each side until done and then remove to plate. I covered with foil tent to keep warm. In same pan, I added a little more oil and then joi choi, peppers & mushrooms along with juice from lime & seasoned.  I only cooked for a few minutes to keep them crisp but I did add some of Thai Basil just before taking off heat.

To serve I put brown rice in bottom of bowl and topped with a little curry sauce.  Then added vegetables and topped with haddock before ladling more sauce over haddock and sprinkling with some Thai basil. You could also squeeze a little fresh lime over the finished dish.  Or if you don't have Thai Basil use cilantro.