ThinkProof CookingTM
Thai Chicken Curry: Meal Guide


 

A. Menu

 

Type

Informal Meal

Food

Thai Chicken Curry

Lychee Fruit Salad

Booze

Medium-dry white wine

Serves

Four diners; Starting 7.00pm

Sources

Observer magazine (for main course)

taste.com.au (for dessert)

 

 

B. Ingredients Checklist

 

Stuff to have or buy:

Ingredient

Already have

To buy

Shallot (one (or quarter small onion))

 

 

Bean sprouts (200g/7oz)

 

 

Garlic clove (two)

 

 

Coriander (fresh; c.15 sprigs)

 

 

Mint (fresh; c.7-8 leaves)

 

 

Lychees (tinned; c.425g/15oz tin)

 

 

Mandarins (four; c.450g/16oz)

 

 

Chicken breasts (four, skinless; c.500g/18oz)

 

 

Vegetable oil (45ml/3 tablespoons)

 

 

Egg noodles (thin, fresh/"straight-to-wok"; c.1kg/lb)

 

 

Coconut milk (tinned; 800ml/1½ pint)

 

 

Curry paste (green (or red if you like hotter); 50g/1½oz/2 tablespoons)

 

 

Fish sauce (1 tablespoon)

 

 

Chicken stock cube (half)

 

 

Sugar (any; 1 teaspoon)

 

 

Lime juice (unsweetened; 2 tablespoons)

 

 

Medium-dry white wine

 

 

 

 

C. Pre-Preparation

When?: Timeline minus c.three hours (e.g. c.3.00pm)

How long?: Pre-preparation takes about 1 minute

 

Ö

 

 

 

1

Put wine in fridge

 

 

D. Preparation

When?: Timeline minus c.one-and-a-half hours (e.g. c.4.45pm)

How long?: Preparation takes about 40 minutes

 

Food Preparation

 

Ö

 

 

 

1

Open tin of lychees and drain syrup into a small saucepan

 

2

Set lychee syrup to boil; Once boiling reduce heat to let simmer for about 15 minutes uncovered

 

3

Peel mandarins, divide into segments and remove any major bits of pith

 

4

Put lychees and mandarin segments together into a serving bowl

 

5

Cut up mint leaves

 

6

When lychee syrup has reduced to about 80ml/3fl.oz, allow to cool slightly and then pour over lychee/mandarin mix

 

7

Sprinkle mint leaves into fruit salad and mix together

 

8

Cover and place into fridge

 

9

Open 800ml of coconut milk

 

10

Fine cut the shallot (or quarter small onion)

 

11

Wash and fine cut c.15 sprigs of fresh coriander

 

12

Mix shallot/onion and coriander and store in lidded container

Note: Keep food fresh in containers; Any dairy/fish/meat in fridge

 

 

Timeline Preparation

 

Ö

 

 

 

 

1

Get cooking implements ready:

One very large and one large non-stick saucepans or woks; Two stirring spoons; One large bowl for set-aside chicken

 

2

Get serving implements ready:

None

 

3

Get eating implements ready:

Medium-large bowls for first course; Small dessert bowls; Wine glasses; Cutlery

 

4

Make sure ingredients are all to hand:

All prepared items; Chicken; Vegetable oil; Garlic; Green curry paste; Fish sauce; Chicken stock cube; Lime juice; Sugar; Noodles; Bean sprouts

 

5

Get changed for dinner

 

 

 

E. Timeline CookingTM

 

Ö

Abs

Rel

Your

 

 

6.17

0

 

Put two garlic cloves into garlic press

 

6.18

+1

 

Slice the chicken into small strips and put into bowl to hold

 

6.24

+7

 

Put away chickeny things and wash hands

 

6.25

+8

 

Heat 2 tablespoons (30ml) of vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan or wok over a medium heat

 

6.26

+9

 

Crush garlic cloves into oil and fry quickly

 

6.27

+10

 

Add 50g (1½oz/2 tablespoons) of green curry paste and stir-fry

 

6.28

+11

 

Turn the heat up to medium-high

 

6.29

+12

 

Add the chicken and stir-fry until browned on the outside

 

6.34

+17

 

To the curried chicken, add 800ml (1½ pints) of coconut milk; 1 tablespoon of fish sauce; ½ well-crumbled chicken stock cube; 2 tablespoons of lime juice; 1 teaspoon of sugar

 

6.36

+19

 

Bring mixture to the boil and stir occasionally

 

6.46

+29

 

Once mixture is boiling, reduce to medium-low to simmer and stir occasionally

 

6.49

+32

 

Add 1 tablespoon (15ml) of vegetable oil into the second (very large) non-stick pan or wok over a medium heat

 

6.51

+34

 

Put noodles into second non-stick pan/wok and stir fairly continuously to cook

 

6.57

+40

 

If necessary, wash the 200g (7oz) of bean sprouts and then drain and add to the noodles and keeping frying/stirring

 

6.58

+41

 

Get shallot/coriander mix from fridge

 

6.59

+42

 

Divide noodles into individual bowls

 

7.00

+43

 

Serve curry onto noodles; garnish to taste with shallot/coriander mix

 

 

 

 

When ready for dessert, remove from fridge and serve

 

 

F. Post-Serving Notes

 

The Meal

Works very well

 

Variations

·      Innumerable ones for the pudding: add pineapple; add Asian/Nashi pears; add honeydew melon; add grapes; add mango; add small pieces of ginger; add lime juice to the dressing

·      Mint isn't to everyone's taste for the pudding: alternatively, have chopped mint as a self-serve garnish, or use chopped crystallised ginger or chopped root ginger in syrup instead

 

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http://www.thinkproof-cooking.com/thaichickencurry.htm & http://www.timeline-cooking.com/thaichickencurry.htm March 2009