Thai Yellow Curry Noodle Soup with Crispy Asian Duck

Today I finally booked my Thanksgiving trip to Thailand (followed by a short work trip to Hong Kong!) to visit the Mistress of Spices in her new home!! Since she's moved there, I've been eyeing her pictures in jealousy and dreaming of cheap eating in the food stalls I love so much.  There's nothing better than food stalls in Asia.  Give me a steaming, fragrant bowl of noodles on the side of a street, balancing on a rickety stool in the middle of a bustling street market over a fancy four-star restaurant any day!

My friends who are reading this might be laughing a bit at this point because there is also nothing else I love more than checking out a new hotspot in town from a celebrity chef.

But Anthony Bourdain put it best in the article I was reading on the way home this afternoon in the new Bon Appetit issue: "the value of a dish is the pleasure it brings you; where you are sitting when you eat it -- and who you are eating it with -- are what really matter."

Great family and friends makes for great eats anytime, anywhere. And I am looking forward to some great eats to finish up 2012, filled with vibrant memories of the native Thai culture and its infamous heat!

In preparation for my upcoming trip, I've been experimenting with different flavors from Thai ingredients such as kaffir lime and yellow curry paste.   I still had some leftover yellow curry paste from the Thai yellow curry fried rice I made last month and decided to finish it off in a spicy coconut noodle broth topped with a crispy-skin duck marinated in an Asian five-spice glaze. For the noodle, I used dried instant ramen noodles since I don't have easy access to fresh egg noodles unless I go to Chinatown.  If you are able to find it easily, definitely use it versus the dried noodle for authenticity.

Vegetarians, take heart and just skip the duck and you have a perfectly delicious and hearty Thai noodle soup.   It is the perfect blend of two Asian cultures.  Until November, this tasty noodle soup will tide me over nicely. Sluuurrrrppp!!!

THAI YELLOW CURRY NOODLE SOUP 

WITH CRISPY ASIAN DUCK

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS
For marinade:
1 1" piece ginger, peeled and smashed
3 cloves, garlic peeled and whole
1 star anise
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 tsp Chinese 5-spice
1/3 cup dark soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 duck breasts

For the broth:
1 tsp coconut oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/2" inch slice ginger, peeled and smashed
6 bok choy leaves, sliced diagonally
6 crimini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup enoki mushrooms
6 baby corn, halved
2 1/2 tbsp yellow curry paste
1 kaffir lime leaf
1 cup coconut milk
2 cups hot water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 whole star anise
2 servings dried instant ramen noodles

Sriracha (optional)
Fresh lime wedges (optional but recommended)
Fresh cilantro leaves (optional)

DIRECTIONS
For duck:
1. Mix all ingredients for marinade in a large non-reactive bowl.  Reserve 4 tbsp of marinade in a separate small bowl.  Add duck to large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and marinade overnight.

2.  The next morning, remove duck from marinade and place on a covered plate to dry out for a few hours in the refrigerator. Removing the wetness of the marinade will allow the duck skin to get crispier.

3.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Prior to putting duck breasts in oven, make sure to score the skin to allow oil to cook out. Roast duck breasts for 1/2 hour, draining oil to ensure crispiness.

4.  Raise heat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for another 1/2 hour. Within the last 10 minutes, glaze the duck with the reserve marinade. Don't worry if the duck becomes slightly blackened on top as this is a result of the soy sauce and honey in the marinade and only adds to the crispiness.

5. Remove from oven and top noodle immediately.

For noodle soup:
1.  In a large pot, warm oil over medium-high heat.  Add shallots and ginger and saute for a few minutes until fragrant. Add bok choy, mushrooms, corn, curry paste and lime leaf.  Stirfry together for another few minutes until fully mixed.

2.  Add coconut milk, water, salt, fish sauce and star anise to the mixture.  Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer for roughly 10 minutes to allow the flavors to come together in the broth.

3.  Add noodle to broth, cover and remove from heat.  Allow to stand until noodles are soft. Pour into a large bowl and top with duck. Serve with cilantro, lime and sriracha and top as you like. The broth will already be spicy, so only add the sriracha if you really want some intense heat.

Thai Yellow Curry Fried Rice

I was away from home for the most part of February into March traveling for work.  And when I'm away, all I do while I'm indulging in all my work-expensed meals is daydreaming about the first thing I'm going to cook when I'm back home.  While I was in my hotel in West Hollywood, I was visiting the Mistress of Spice's blog when I stumbled upon her Thai red curry fried rice.

Drooling while I re-read the post, I made a promise to go home and use the red curry I had brought back from one of my food shopping trips in Paris at the food mecca, Lafayette Gourmet at Galeries Lafayette.  Fried rice is a real comfort food me growing up in my Taiwanese household.  It is a great way to use leftover white rice as it gives it new life. The only time my mom ever made fried rice with us was if she needed to use up rice that was a few days old.  She never used freshly made rice as it contains too much moisture and doesn't allow the rice to crisp up that much. Once I was old enough to start helping my mom in the kitchen as a teenager, I was given the responsibility of making the rice in the cooker. I would deliberately cook more rice than needed so that my mom would be forced to make us fried rice that week! It was (and still is!) my favorite dish to make at home, though my variation is slightly different from my mom's now.

So two days after I found myself back home in my lovely, tiny studio (there really is no place like home!) I stopped by my local Chinese spot to pick up a pint of white rice since I had run out of my jasmine rice right before I left for my work travels.  I opened my fridge and pulled out the curry paste to find I didn't have red curry, but YELLOW curry. No problem! A quick look through my fridge and freezer and I pulled out some coconut flakes, an egg, leftover grape tomatoes, chicken breasts and a kaffir lime leaf...the holy grail that holds that umami flavor in Thai cooking next to fish sauce.

Since yellow curry has a slightly sweeter taste to its heat, the coconut was the perfect complement for it. Once I toasted them a beautiful golden brown, it also added a nice textural contrast in the dish. You can adjust the level of heat by reducing/increasing the curry paste. I thought mine was just the right amount of heat without making it painful to eat! Feel free to substitute the chicken with eggplant or tofu if you do not eat meat.  If you are trying to be more health conscious, brown rice is also perfectly acceptable; it will probably add a nice nutty flavor. I have just never learned to like brown rice having eaten white rice my entire life.

This weekend is the MOST appropriate time to cook this dish for yourself or your family as today signifies the beginning of the Songkran Festival (otherwise known as Thailand Water Festival).  It is the most important festival for Thai people. Celebrated as the traditional Thai New Year, the Thai people sprinkle water on the elders in show of respect and pay respect to Buddha images. This year Songkran will run from Thursday, April 12th-Sunday, April 15th.  So get out there with your water guns in tow and then satisfy your hunger afterwards with this comforting dish!

Celebration of Songkran in the streets of Chiang Mai. - Photo by Ramya Vivekanandan

THAI YELLOW CURRY FRIED RICE

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp coconut flakes, lightly toasted
2 tbsp grapeseed oil
1 large egg, beaten
2 medium size boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tbsp ginger, finely minced
1/4 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 kaffir lime leaves
2 tbsp yellow curry paste
3 tbsp water
2 cups leftover white rice
1 lime, quartered

DIRECTIONS
1.  In a large wok, toast the coconut flakes over medium heat until they are golden brown and have started to caramelize a bit around the edges. Remove from heat and reserve until ready to use.

2.  In the same wok, warm oil over high heat and add eggs. Roll around pan and cook for a few minutes.  It should still be somewhat uncooked.  Do not let brown on bottom. Remove from heat and reserve until ready to use.

3. Still using the same wok over medium-high heat, add the chicken.  Cook until both sides are no longer pink. Add onion and cook until slightly translucent. Then, add garlic, ginger, tomatoes, and kaffir lime leaves. Saute together for a minute. Add curry paste and water; mix together.

4. Raise heat to high, add rice and eggs. Make sure everything is mixed together.  I always like to make sure every grain of rice has a bit of the sauce and ingredients are evenly distributed so you get a bite of everything together.  Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes over high and stir occasionally to avoid rice from sticking to the bottom.  It's perfect if it starts to create a bit of crust on the rice, but we don't want it to stick! Add 2 tbsp coconut flakes to the rice and mix together one last time.

5. Remove kaffir lime leaves from the wok. Serve immediately in individual bowls and top with toasted coconut flakes and a wedge of lime.

Kŏr hâi jà-rern aa-hăan or bon appetit!!

Double Coconut Brownies

Readers, as promised! My Valentine's Day dessert post...a treat for your sweet that should satisfy all cravings.

A wise friend once told me that all good things come from Portugal. He made some good points and to this day I will still argue with him that all things good are actually from China. Of course, that's because he's Portugese and I'm Chinese. However, in this case he is correct and I will give him his due (as much as it pains me.) The origins of coconut, it appears, is derived from the Spanish and Portugese word in the 16th century "coco" meaning grinning face for the three holes resembling a smiling human face. And after taking your first bite of this light, yet rich, double coconut brownie, that is exactly what your face will look like.

The thing I love about cooking is experimenting. I've always found that that is when you make the best discoveries.
Last week, I had a craving for brownies. But I got home and found that I had no milk or vegetable oil. Pretty important ingredients next to the chocolate. I could have gone around the corner to the supermarket to pick them up, but I was in one of those moods where walking 500 feet was too difficult. I was a little down and rethinking my dessert when I stumbled upon a can of coconut milk in my pantry. Score!


Coconut milk is so creamy and luscious that I thought it would be a good replacement for the milk and oil. What I discovered was that the coconut milk gave the brownies a refreshing and moist texture. In fact, why hadn't I had a brownie made with coconut milk before??  The unusual finish to the brownie with the addition of the coconut milk will definitely have your guest trying to capture and identify that elusive flavor. I love the warmth contrasting the coolness with the subtle hint of cinnamon and cardamom.

I finished it with a dark chocolate glaze and some toasted coconut to add another dimension and texture. It gave it a decadence that was tempered with the coconut milk. Delicious!  It is the perfect dessert to finish your Valentine's dinner with your loved one. Nothing shows love better than some chocolatey goodness!

DOUBLE COCONUT BROWNIES

Makes 16 brownies

INGREDIENTS
4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup white flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground Saigon cinnamon
1/2 tsp kosher salt
14 fl oz (1 can) coconut milk
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup coconut flakes, toasted

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon.

3. In a mixer on medium, cream sugar and butter until it has come together. Add vanilla and one egg at a time until fully incorporated. Add 12 oz of coconut milk and mix for a few minutes.

4. Bring mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry mixture to the wet. Mix until fully incorporated for several minutes.

5. Pour into a buttered/oiled 8x8 baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes until it is set. If you use a toothpick and stick it in center of brownie, it should come out clean. Remove from oven and let cool.

6. In a double boiler, add chocolate and remaining 2 oz coconut milk over medium-low heat. You can also put it in a microwave and in 15 second intervals slowly melt the chocolate and mix together it smooth and velvety.

7. Pour the chocolate over the brownies and smooth evenly. Top it with the toasted coconut. Refrigerate for about an hour for the glaze to harden a bit.

8. With a sharp non-serrated knife, cut into 16 pieces or 12 pieces if you want it bigger. Serve slightly chilled.