Thai Red Curry with Duck & Chef Mike Carrino
We always have fun when Chef Carrino comes to visit the Cucina. He’s always pushing my boundaries when it comes to food I would try to make at home. And he does just that with this dish as well! Without a doubt I rolled my eyes when he told me we were going to make Thai Red Curry with duck. But he assured me it was easy and something anyone could tackle at home. And as usual - he was right! The hardest part of this dish is chopping the veggies! (And let’s be honest, if that’s really a challenge, a lot of stores now sell, pre-chopped fresh veggies so, what’s the excuse not to try!?). I love the way Chef Carrino works - using every part of whatever he can. From rendering the fat out of the duck breast to use instead of oil, to stashing his veggie scraps for stock. The man is a wealth of information!
He teaches us about culantro - a fresh herb found at Asian and Latin markets. While it’s not actually related to cilantro - it has a similar, more mild flavor. If you can’t find it, regular cilantro will work fine here! And the proper way to cook a duck breast - regardless of what you’re using it for. Plus, watch his simple trick for rice pilaf (freaking foil!).
Now, I know what you’re thinking - isn’t curry spicy? While curries can be and often are spicy - the beauty of making it at home is you can control the heat level! When we finished shooting - both my husband AND Chef added more fresh chilies to their bowls while I happily sweated through my more mild dish! And just in case you make yours too spicy - both lime juice and coconut milk help balance and reduce that heat so you can always some more of either of those to your bowl. Again, the beauty of home cooking!
Everything about this dish is good for you. Loaded with vegetables, nutrients, antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, anti-viral, and antibacterial elements - you will definitely stay healthy on this dish! No coronavirus here! Check out the video and get the recipe below!
Thai Red Curry with Duck
Serves 2
1 5-7 oz. duck breast
2 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
8-10 scallions, sliced at an angle
1, 2 inch knob of ginger, peeled and grated.
1/2 white onion, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 small, white potato, chopped (small)
2 green chilies, Thai or serrano (more or less to taste), sliced thin
1 tsp. Thai red curry paste
1 C. chicken broth
1/4 C. coconut milk (canned)
10-12 basil leaves, chiffonade
8-10 culantro leaves, chiffonade
juice of 1 lime
Optional for Serving:
bamboo shoots
fresh pineapple chunks
lime wedges
jasmine rice
extra herbs, chilies and green onions
Heat a sauté pan over medium-low heat. Season skin side of duck breast lightly with salt. Place skin-side down in hot pan. Allow to cook until most of the fat has rendered out and the skin is golden-brown; about 10 -15 minutes. Flip duck breast over and turn off the heat. Allow to rest in pan while you make the curry.
Heat a separate sauté pan over medium heat, add about 2 Tbs. of the liquid fat rendered out of the duck breast. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add in scallions and ginger. Cook for another 2 minutes. Then add chilies, onions, tomatoes, and potatoes. Season with salt and allow to cook until vegetables begin to soften. About 3 minutes.
Create an opening in the middle of the pan and add curry paste. Allow to cook and mix with vegetables until it begins to soften and evenly coat the mixture. Pour in chicken stock, just enough to cover the dish.
Add in coconut milk, lime juice and fresh herbs.
Remove duck breast from the pan and slice into small pieces. Add duck to the curry and allow to simmer for 7-10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
Top the dish with fresh bamboo shoots, pineapple, extra herbs, chilies, scallions and/or lime wedges and serve over warm rice.
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