Birthday Inspired Spicy Fish Curry

Last week for my birthday dinner, I had a most excellent Spicy Thai Fish Curry at Spago, Wailea.  For our fish dish this week, I was inspired to try to recreate Spago’s amazing fish curry.  I don’t think the Chefs at Spago have anything to worry about, but my version was pretty good for home cookin’!  Yummy, tender fish.  Lemony-lime, gingery-coconutty, licoricey curry sauce with a little heat.  Crunchy veggies.  All that goodness over white basmati rice.  Are you getting hungry yet?  You could probably wok cook this but I just used a regular pan.  Served without the rice, this would be a tasty phase 1 South Beach meal.

I referred to this recipe to develop mine.  This was pretty quick to come together, so prep everything ahead.

Birthday Inspired Spicy Thai Fish Curry

Serves 4;  approximately 433 calories, 16 grams carbs, 20.5 grams fat, 46 grams protein for 4 oz fish, 1 1/2 cup veggies and 1/2 cup sauce

Ingredients:

Basmati rice

1 ¼ pounds fresh fish (I used salmon and mahi-mahi but any firm fish will do) cut into 1 ½ inch cubes

1 13.6 oz can lite coconut milk

2 TBSP fish sauce

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground cumin

Zest of 2 small limes

2 TBSP lime juice

1 TBSP finely chopped cilantro stems

2 TBSP finely chopped fresh ginger

1 stem lemongrass grated on microplane grater, about 4 TBSP

1 serrano chile, ½ of seeds and white membranes discarded, remainder finely chopped (if you like a lot of heat, just chop and include the whole chile)

1 TBSP olive oil

1 ½ cup finely sliced red bell pepper

1 ½ cup green beans, sliced in half lengthwise (or use haricot verts, thin green beans, if you can get them)

1 ½ cup shiitake mushrooms coarsely chopped

3 cups coarsely chopped bok choy, leaves and stems

½ cup reduced sodium chicken broth

2 TBSP each chopped basil and cilantro leaves

Method:

Combine the lite coconut milk, fish sauce, turmeric, cumin, lime zest, cilantro stems, ginger, lemongrass, and chile.  Add fish and marinade for 30 minutes in fridge while rice cooks. 

Remove fish and marinade from fridge.  Heat olive oil over med-high heat and add red bell pepper, green beans and mushrooms.  Cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. Add bok choy and chicken broth and cook for 3 minutes or until bok choy wilts and stems start to soften. 

 Add fish and marinade to pan.

Cook for 5 minutes until fish is beginning to flake, stirring gently. Stir in lime juice.

Serve over rice and top with cilantro and basil leaves.

I don't usually like left over fish, but this kept well and we enjoyed it again for lunch the next day.  Hope you will try this and let me know what you think.



Leftovers for lunch