Growing up on the ocean with a father who loved to fish, I grew up eating fish pretty much every other day. My family enjoyed a bounty of halibut, cod, red snapper, salmon, mackerel, herring and ling cod on Vancouver Island. Take advantage of all the fish flavour by cooking it in curry. The curry extracts the lovely fish essence into the broth but only cooks the fish until tender and flaky. When my mom makes fish curry these days she prefers using ready made curry paste which can be readily found in any asian grocery store and some regular grocery stores like Save-on, Pricesmart, Superstore, and Choices. I used 'Cock Brand' but you can use what's available.
Fans of sweet peas might like to try okra, which is similarly sweet and mild, with tender pods. Some people find the 'slime' inside the okra off putting but when okra is prepared in curry, the slime acts as a thickener for the curry . The chambers of the okra are then filled with curry and the pod becomes a great receptacle for maxing curry pleasure! If you aren't as brave, then omit the okra, and prepare with sugar snap peas after the curry is brought to boil and allow to simmer until vibrant green. I feel its important to have some green element in this dish to keep the balance light.
This is a savoury comforting dish which should reliably please seafood lovers and foodies alike. I developed this recipe with my mom one sunday afternoon. Enjoy!
Ling Cod and Okra Red Curry
half onion diced coarsely
4 garlic cloves
4 slices of fresh ginger
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1/2 cup red curry paste
2 cups of headless shrimp
1 lb of okra
1 cup milk
3 ling cod steaks sliced one cm thick.
a cup of fish balls, sliced in half
In a hot cast iron wok, heat the vegetable oil on high heat.
Sautee the onion, cloves, and ginger until the onions and garlic are tender - about 5 minutes.
Add curry paste and sautee together until the paste melts.
Add Okra - sautee for three minutes.
Add Ling cod and shrimp allowing the wok to sear the fish and shrimp, moving the fish steak as little as possible.
Once all the fish and prawns are seared, add the milk and fish balls and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
Serve with hot steamed jasmine rice.
