This Riff on a Traditional Thai Curry Is the Good Consolation Meals

I grew up within the sweltering warmth of Thailand, the place temperatures hardly ever drop under the “gentle sweater” mark. Consequently, I developed one thing of an obsession with the chilly; the thought of 4 seasons was thrilling to me. I pored over my well-worn copies of Jill Barklem’s Brambly Hedge books and was captivated by the comfortable actions the mice received as much as of their tree stump village: organizing winter balls, steaming up Christmas puddings, and placing their little ft up in entrance of roaring fires. 

Whereas I’ve but to find the utopian commune of my desires right here in New York’s Hudson Valley, the place I now stay, I’ve wholeheartedly embraced chilly northeastern climate, in addition to the hardy produce that comes with it. One of many cornerstone items of produce from the colder months is winter squash, although its season extends properly past the precise winter season—butternut squash and different hard-skinned pumpkins start to look at native markets within the late summer time and may nonetheless be discovered piled up at farmers markets many months later, within the early spring. It is the right automobile for this baked squash curry, which is a welcome meal not less than three out of the 12 months’s 4 seasons. Impressed by conventional Thai hor mok, a kind of steamed curry, it options candy, nutty squash with a kick of warmth from pink curry paste.

Hor mok (ห่อหมก) is extra of an strategy than a particular dish: The time period describes a conventional cooking technique the place a mix of fish, recent herbs like Thai basil and makrut lime leaves, and spices are wrapped up (hor; ห่อ) in a banana leaf, then buried (mok; หมก) within the ashes of a cooking fireplace to bake slowly. (Hor mok has shut cousins within the cuisines of neighboring nations, like Cambodia’s amok, a steamed fish curry.)

Whereas regional variations abound, the commonest model of hor mok in Thailand at the moment is made by combining minced fish, pink or yellow curry paste, eggs, and coconut milk. (Shredded greens like cabbage are typically included for texture.) The combination is wrapped in banana leaves or foil, then steamed on the stovetop or baked in an oven. The dish is basically a savory, spicy custard. Whereas hor mok can differ in measurement, they’re typically made in single-serving packages to allow them to be eaten with rice as a solo meal or as a part of a dinner unfold for a bigger group. 

A number of years in the past, I used to be shopping by a number of hor mok recipes in preparation for a non-public dinner I used to be cooking. I got here throughout one in Momluang Terb Xoomsai’s Ratanakosin Dishes 1982, an out-of-print cookbook that showcases quite a lot of refined, fashionable recipes from one in all Thailand’s foremost culinary specialists. Not like many hor mok recipes, which have you ever incorporate entire crushed eggs, Xoomsai’s spin concerned beating egg whites on their very own till gentle and fluffy, then folding them into the remainder of the substances, producing a lighter model of traditional hor mok. Its texture jogged my memory of a butternut squash soufflé I made at a restaurant a few years in the past as a prep cook dinner—and so, I made a decision to create a vegetarian riff on conventional hor mok utilizing Xoomsai’s method. 

The result’s a luxuriously creamy custard that’s boldly flavored with butternut squash and pink curry, with a light-weight, ethereal texture much like a French soufflé.

The Key Strategies That Make This Recipe Nice

Beat the eggs properly—however don’t overwhip them. It could be tempting to whip your egg whites on excessive pace, however I like to recommend whisking them on medium, which can take a bit of longer however end in a stronger, extra steady foam and decrease the danger of your egg whites overwhipping. Overwhipped egg whites don’t maintain their air properly, and can possible end in a soufflé that deflates rapidly. To make sure all of your arduous work doesn’t go to waste, gently fold the whipped egg whites into your custard base. The longer and extra aggressively you stir, the extra air bubbles you’ll lose, leading to a dense custard that gained’t rise.

Use a candy winter squash. I go for candy, earthy butternut squash in my recipe under, because it’s broadly accessible in lots of US grocery shops. If you may get your fingers on honeynut squash, although, they’ve a extra concentrated taste than butternut squash and make a wonderful various (simply notice that honeynut squash are a lot smaller than butternet, so you will want extra of them to get the identical weight). 

Roast the squash first. To include the squash into the soufflé combination, it’s important to cook dinner and purée it first. There are a lot of methods to organize squash, together with boiling, steaming, and microwaving. Roasting the gourd at a excessive temperature, nevertheless, concentrates the squash’s taste by driving off moisture and permits the Maillard response—a sequence of chemical reactions that happen when proteins and sugars are remodeled by warmth—to happen, leading to squash with a a lot sweeter, extra advanced taste.

Retailer-bought curry paste is ok. You may make your personal curry paste, however for this, store-bought pink curry paste is completely effective, for the reason that flavors within the paste play a supporting function to the candy, nutty, earthy squash. For probably the most fragrant base, I begin by sautéing the curry paste, which blooms the spices, releasing fat-soluble taste compounds that infuse extra totally into the dish. (Take into account that most conventional Thai curry pastes comprise shrimp paste, so remember to verify the substances if you’re seeking to preserve the dish vegetarian.) 

Prime it off with coconut cream, makrut lime leaves, and slivered pink peppers. The dish is nice as is, however is very scrumptious when dressed up with thickened coconut cream, a chiffonade of zesty makrut lime leaves, and spicy pink chiles, which is what number of Thai eateries serve conventional hor mok. The coconut cream balances the spice of the curry, the makrut lime leaves add a refreshing pop of perfume and brightness, and the pink chiles give it a spicy kick. Search for a scorching pink chile like fowl’s eye, Fresno, or jalapeño—however in case you’d prefer to preserve it delicate, matchsticks of pink bell peppers or lunchbox peppers work too.

I like this dish served with plain rice, but it surely’s additionally good as a part of an even bigger unfold; for example, served with different Thai dishes like a zesty salad or a meaty stir-fry. I’ve additionally discovered it to be an awesome non-traditional facet for a roast hen as properly.

Cook dinner Mode
(Hold display screen awake)