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Oven-baked fish curry
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 100g baby spinach
- 2tbsp vegetable oil
- 1tbsp palm sugar
- 2tbsp fish sauce
- 1tbsp tamarind paste
- 200ml coconut milk
- 500g skinless white fish fillets, such as cod, haddock or monkfish, cut into bite-sized chunks
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
For the curry paste
- 2 banana shallots
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 lemongrass stalks, trimmed
- 5cm fresh turmeric, peeled, or 1tsp ground turmeric
- 3 red chillies, deseeded
- 5cm galangal or fresh ginger
- 2tsp lemon juice
To serve
- 2tbsp coconut milk
- 1 red chilli, deseeded and julienned
- 4 makrut lime leaves, ribs removed, thinly sliced
- cooked rice
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/ 160C F/Gas 4. Blitz all the paste ingredients with 2tbsp water using a stick blender or food processor until fine and smooth.
In a medium bowl, blanch the spinach in boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove and pat dry with kitchen paper. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a wok or deep pan over a medium heat and fry the paste for 3 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the sugar, fish sauce and tamarind, cook for 2 minutes and then stir in the coconut milk and 200ml water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat.
Divide the fish and spinach among 4 medium ramekins or ovenproof bowls. Pour an equal amount of curry sauce into each bowl, stir well but gently and make sure the spinach is visible in each ramekin or bowl.
Divide the beaten eggs among the bowls and mix gently. Put the bowls into a large, deep baking tray and pour in enough cold water to
reach halfway up the bowls. Cover the tray with foil and seal around the edges to trap the steam. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for a further 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and set aside for 2 minutes, then pour ½tbsp coconut milk over each bowl and garnish with the chilli and makrut lime leaves. Serve with the rice.
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