Food Challenge: Red Duck Curry

I was recently introduced to this dish after eating it at Holy Basil and have been wanting to try making it at home ever since. I love the contrasting flavours of this dish - sweet lychees, sour tomatoes, salty duck and spicy red curry makes for an explosion on your taste buds! What I learnt from making this for the first time was that it was all a balancing act between these competing elements. I tried to follow the ingredients and method in the recipe but ended up seasoning the curry by taste in the end to make it just the way I remembered it from the restaurant. Finally, it was perfect and the best satisfaction is getting the approval of my greatest critics - my family! Will definitely be making this dish for family and friends in the future as it's definitely a crowd pleaser and a great addition to my repertoire.

Ingredients:

• 400mL lite coconut cream
• 1/2 Chinese BBQ duck
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 can lychees, drained
• 10 cherry tomatoes
• 1 handful of Thai basil leaves
• 6 fresh Kaffir lime leaves
• 2 tbsp red curry paste
• Jasmine rice to serve
• Water as required

Method:

1. Pour half of the coconut cream in a medium frying pan over a medium-high heat and bring to the boil.
2. Add 2 tbs red curry paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until fragrant.
3. Add the remaining coconut cream, duck, fish sauce and sugar. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes or until sauce thickens.
4. Add the lychees, tomatoes, Thai basil, Kaffir lime leaves and red and green chillies, and cook, stirring until heated through. 
5. Now that you've added all the ingredients, taste the curry to see if it has the right balance of flavours. I added water to reduce the intensity of the curry paste and seasoned with sugar to reduce the saltiness. Once seasoned, simmer to thicken the sauce again.
6. Divide among serving bowls and serve with the rice.