A Taste of Thailand, With a Hint of France

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/03/dining/red-curry-mussels.html

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My first taste of Thailand, many moons ago, left me with vivid memories. I arrived in Bangkok around midnight, after a seemingly interminable flight, and the temperature was unbelievably hot, the air was cloying and steamy. I was happy to be there, despite feeling somewhat wilted, and very hungry.

A recommended restaurant near the hotel looked inviting, so we sat down to a meal that was remarkably spicy — hotter and more intense than any Thai food I had ever tasted in the United States.

Already perspiring from the damp, hot air, I began to sweat profusely from the scalp down, as I tasted the first spoonful of a fiery seafood stew. It was delicious, but the heat level was such that I had to stop every few minutes to rest and mop my brow. This was my introduction to Thai-style curries. There would be many more to follow.

Thai-style red curries typically begin with a paste of pounded chiles, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, makrut lime leaves or zest and fermented shrimp. A big dab of the curry paste is sizzled in oil before adding other ingredients or aromatics. Fresh coconut milk is used quite often to complete the sauce.

It’s possible to make your own curry paste, with a mortar and pestle or with a blender, and it can be a fun project. But having a jar of commercially made curry paste in the refrigerator means you will be more likely to prepare a dish like this on the spur of the moment. There are some decent brands available, in Asian groceries, many supermarkets and online.

When thinking about an easy, satisfying menu, mussels often come to mind. It takes hardly any time to cook a big potful, and to steam them in the traditional French manner, garlic, parsley and white wine are all you need.

To my mind, a crisp baguette is the perfect accompaniment: I never really fell for moules-frites — the copious bowl of mussels served with a plate of fries on the side that is so popular in Belgium and France.

But the other day, when I picked up mussels for dinner, a Thai-inspired version of that pairing seemed just right. The frites would be sweet potatoes, cut like steak fries and roasted crisp in the oven, and the mussels would be cooked in red curry sauce.

Of course, it’s not authentic, but these moules-frites are mouthwatering. You can make the curry as incendiary as you wish or keep it on milder side, using less hot pepper. Since that first trip to Thailand, my inclination has been to go heavy, hot enough to break a sweat.

Recipe: Red Curry Mussels and Roasted Sweet Potatoes

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