While thinking about this recipe, I got to consider my storyline. It should be an easy one to write. Halibut is my favourite fish and right now, I am having a great time with many of the Thai flavours that bring out the very best in fish. With very little thinking done, I hit upon “curry favour”. I could easily bend that around to “favourite curry” and have a play on words. This would be easy.
Easy that is until I did my research. The origins of currying favour is in fact French and has nothing to do with cookery. It involves wiping down a horse. This really put me off and I decided to just get straight into the recipe. Straight is a relative word as you will have guessed by now. Here’s my Thai Style Halibut Curry.
Ingredients in the picture
- 600gms fresh halibut
- 200gms spinach
- 1 handful coriander
- 3 stalks lemongrass
- 2 red chilis
- 2 limes
- 3 cloves garlic
- A few curry leaves
- 5cm (2″) of galangal
- 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Ingredients not in the picture
- 400ml of coconut milk
- 3 teaspoons fish sauce
I was in a bit of a hurry getting my photography together. As a result, I neglected to add a couple of ingredients. This probably is a bigger issue in my head than in yours but, I thought I should try to curry a bit of favour by mentioning it.
Getting on with the recipe, the first thing to do is to make a paste out of the galangal, chilli, garlic, lemongrass, salt pepper, and fish sauce. To do this, peel and chop the lemongrass, garlic and galangal, chop the chillis. Put the lot into a blender or mortar along with the fish sauce and coriander. Fry off the cumin seeds in a dry pan. Add these to the blender/mortar (I was in a hurry, so the blender won out).
Blitz the lot of it to a paste. Fry it off in a high sided wide saucepan.
When the paste has developed a nice consistency and flavours are really rising, add the turmeric and paprika. Combine this into the paste and then add the coconut milk and the curry leafs.
Let this mixture cook over a low heat for about 20 minutes. Then add the spinach leafs. This will take a bit of attention as they have a lot of volume and need to wilt. Add them a few at a time.
Keep the heat on low. Cube the halibut and add it to the curry sauce. The fish is delicate and will poach nicely in the sauce.
Place a lid on the pan and let the fish gently poach for about ten minutes. Slice up some more coriander and sprinkle it over the dish. When the fish has turned opaque rather than translucent, it’s cooked. See the difference between the two pictures above and below.
Serve it with white rice or potatoes, if you wish. This is a delightful curry that I hope will find favour. I can’t do any more to flavour the curry and curry your favour.
katechiconi | 22nd October 2019
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We’ll forgive you the missing ingredients because you’ve clearly spent some time arranging the rest nicely, with interesting pops of colour here and there. I can get all the ingredients here pretty easily barring the halibut, and I think red emperor might make a satisfactory alternative. When I get back from my trip, I might just give it a go!
Conor Bofin | Author | 26th November 2019
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Do give it a whirl Kate. It is a delicious and easy dish to prepare.
Lisa O'Shea | 22nd October 2019
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What time is dinner at😁😁😁😁😁😁
sallybr | 22nd October 2019
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OMG. This is just my favorite type of meal!!!!
Conor Bofin | Author | 26th November 2019
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So easy to prepare Sally and I can confirm that the sauce freezes really well. We had it poured over some steamed salmon last week. Delicious.
Mimi | 22nd October 2019
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This is just fabulous. I can smell it!
Mrs Anette McNamara | 22nd October 2019
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I love it. I love your blog and comments. Thanks!!!
Linda Duffin | 22nd October 2019
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Looks delicious, Conor. A big thumbs-up.
herschelian | 22nd October 2019
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That looks so delicious, and I too love Halibut so this is going on next weekend’s menu. Thanks!!
Marty | 22nd October 2019
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This looks amazing — with and without the Halibut. (And there’s no shame in using the blender over the mortar and pestle!) Unfortunately for me, Halibut has become so danged expensive that it is currently reserved for very special occasions — and I want to eat this curry sooner than that! 😉 Thinking about using a different fish or even some shrimp and seeing how that goes.
StefanGourmet | 24th October 2019
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You’re going about it the wrong way. Having the halibut *is* the special occasion 😀
Conor Bofin | Author | 26th November 2019
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Any firm fleshed fish will do. The halibut is very expensive here too. I try to ignore the price labels when buying fish.
Stay well,
C
Eha | 23rd October 2019
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Am really looking forwards to trying your recipe which so delightfully nods to Thailand and then wanders across both its Northern and Southern borders for extra interest . . . especially towards Malaysia where such fish curries, so easy to make, are off part of the day ! Had a laugh about the word ‘curry’ . . . watched one of our best known quiz shows last night when this came up . . . what kind of brush did one use to groom a horse with four choices given . . . would you believe not one contestant got it right . . . well, I felt terribly old-fashioned and outmoded and wished I had been there trying to win a million 🙂 ! . . . . Oh, halibut . . . like Kate may have to use another denizen from the sea nut am certain it will taste great . . .
Conor Bofin | Author | 26th November 2019
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For sure the sauce will work with any firm fleshed white fish Eha. The last thing you can be called is outmoded. That is a state of mind that I know you don’t know anything about.
Best,
C
Peter Sharples | 23rd October 2019
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Last Thursday I was in our local fishmonger near the ferry port of Poole in Dorset, where we are lucky enough to get live lobsters and crabs, mussels, cockles and diver scallops, and there on the ice was a beautiful whole, fresh, North Atlantic halibut. I was the first customer to have steaks cut from it. But to be honest, I would only ever cook this supreme fish in the simplest way, and never put it in a curry. For those needing to find an alternative fish, I think the firm flesh of monkfish tails would work well. The curry sauce itself looks delicious.
Conor Bofin | Author | 26th November 2019
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I understand the argument Peter. I was a bit conflicted about doing it. However, I do subscribe to the theory that the better the ingredients, the better the end result. The halibut stood up really well to the mild and creamy sauce. The addition of the spinach added a nice flavour too. The overall was excellent. Though I did use the left over sauce (frozen and reheated) to pour over some salmon. That too was a delight. Perhaps I will use hake or monk next time.
StefanGourmet | 24th October 2019
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Homemade fresh curry paste is the best! This looks delicious. Some suggestions to try for a next batch:
– adding shallots to the curry paste
– replacing coriander leaves with coriander roots (if you can’t buy a bunch with roots at an Asian store, I suppose you could buy coriander in a pot and rinse off the dirt)
– turning off the heat and poaching the fish even more gently — then take out the fish, bring the sauce to a boil, and spoon over the fish to serve it hot
– adding fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar to taste at the end until the perfect balance of salt, sweet, and sour is reached
– garnish with very thin strips (chiffonade) of lime leaves
– cooking the curry paste in the thick coconut cream that floats on top of the coconut milk if you don’t shake the can first (heat until it ‘breaks’ first)
Conor Bofin | Author | 26th November 2019
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All excellent suggestions Stefan. In truth, I did add the lime juice at the end (they appear in the ingredients shot) and forgot to mention them in the description. The zest of the lime is lovely in the sauce too. That went in just before serving too. I am enjoying my “Thai style” cooking at present. I need to get back to blogging.
Eha | 25th October 2019
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Quietly standing on the sidelines . . . from the far away AustralASIA I see ;Asian fusion’ and ‘European Asian’ . . . the ingredients and methodology may not always equate one to the other . . . just say’in . . . . . .
Conor Bofin | Author | 26th November 2019
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It still tastes great and that is all that matters in that area for me.
Our Growing Paynes | 25th October 2019
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Your family is very spoilt with your cooking…
Conor Bofin | Author | 26th November 2019
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Thanks Virginia. Apologies for the long delay in responding. The reason is a whole other story that I will tell you some day.
Best,
Conor
Our Growing Paynes | 26th November 2019
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Hope everything is ok.
Simply Splendid Food | 27th October 2019
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Splendid as always…Cheers!
Conor Bofin | Author | 26th November 2019
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Thank you. I appreciate the nice comment.
Marian | 20th November 2019
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Two limes look lovely in the picture; what do we do with them – and when?
Conor Bofin | Author | 26th November 2019
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My apologies Marian. I can be pretty dumb assed when it comes to writing up the recipes. I did add the juice and the zest of one lime at the end of the cooking. The second lime kept for squeezing over just before serving, and forgot to mention them in the description. Well spotted and thank you.
Best,
Conor
Simply Splendid Food | 22nd November 2019
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So-o-o-o-o delicious. The fish swimming in that delightful curry sauce is purely sensational. 💖
Conor Bofin | Author | 26th November 2019
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It is a nice one and really easy to prepare. I encourage you to give it a whirl.
Simply Splendid Food | 26th November 2019
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I grew up on fish soup in a milky broth. The curry version adds a bit more warmth. It’s my favorite dish. 🍲
Marty | 26th November 2019
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You’re not wrong about that, Stefan! 😉
kerryjane5 | 27th November 2019
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I love it,so easy to make.
You can follow my blog on recipe
http://sharemyrecipescom.wordpress.com
Conor Bofin | Author | 27th November 2019
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Thanks for the kind comment Kerry Jane.
kerryjane5 | 27th November 2019
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You’re welcome Conor
Eha | 29th November 2019
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Glad you seem to be back from behind the Black Stump as we say here . . . . have missed you . . .. .
Karen (Back Road Journal) | 31st December 2019
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Love the idea Conor, I usually prepare a chicken or shrimp curry…thank you for the inspiration. I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas. Wishing you all the best in the coming year with lots of delicious cooking ahead of you. Happy New Year!
Conor Bofin | Author | 1st January 2020
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Thank you so much Karen. I hope you and yours have a happy, healthy 2020.