Green curry beef skewers with fried basil oil

Serves 8 Starters and mains

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Method

In a large bowl, combine the beef, curry paste, sugar and fish sauce and mix well. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours, or overnight. Soak the bamboo skewers in water to cover for 1-2 hours.

Cook a couple of pieces of beef in a small frying pan over a medium heat or in a microwave, then taste and adjust the seasoning with more fish sauce and sugar if needed, keeping in mind that the accompanying rice will be bland. The meat should taste salty and then a little sweet.

Divide the beef into 12 equal portions, then thread each portion onto a bamboo skewer.

Put the basil leaves in a small bowl and lightly mist them with water. Line a small plate with kitchen paper. Place the bowl of basil, the lined plate and a small saucepan with a heatproof handle near the grill. Keep the leaves lightly misted. The moisture helps the leaves turn a bright, beautiful jewel-like green when they are fried. (Don’t overdo it, though; the moisture can cause splattering.)

Prepare a medium-high fire (200-230C) in a charcoal grill using the two-zone method (see note, below). Place the skewers on the hot side of the grill and cook with the lid off for 5-7 minutes, until you get some charring on the outside. Move the skewers to the hold side of the grill, cover and cook with the vents half-open for around 10 minutes, until no pink is visible in the beef.

Around 5 minutes before the meat is done, in the reserved frying pan, combine the oil and turmeric (if using) and place it on the hot side of the grill. When the turmeric sizzles and the oil is turning yellow and is hot, drop 20g of the basil leaves into the oil and stand back. Within seconds the basil leaves will be crisp. Using a mesh skimmer, transfer the leaves to the kitchen paper-lined plate and remove the pan from the grill.

To serve, transfer the skewers to a large platter. Drizzle some of the turmeric- and basil-infused oil over the beef. Top with the fried basil leaves and the remaining fresh basil leaves. Serve immediately, with the rice on the side.

The two-zone method

This involves setting up your grill so the coals are piled to one side, leaving the other side empty. That way, you can sear and char your food over direct radiant heat (the hot side) and slowly bring it to the desired internal temperature over indirect convection heat (the cooler side, aka the hold side). You can control the heat by moving food back and forth between the two zones. Adjusting the vents is another way to control the heat.

To set up a two-zone grill, light a full chimney of charcoal. When the coals are glowing and partially dusted with ash, deposit them on one side of the grill.

This recipe was taken from the June/July 2020 issue of Food and Travel.

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