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.

Food Challenge: Tomato & Basil Soup

After tasting my first tomato & basil soup from Noodles & Company in Ann Arbor, Michigan, I fell in love with the thickness of its flavours. I'm not really a soup person but I've been craving this dish ever since I left America and finally decided to look up recipes and make my own version of the soup. I wanted to make sure it turned out thick and chunky so that you could taste the fresh ingredients and scoop it up with pieces of toasted garlic bread. After some seasoning, it turned out just as good as I remembered and since I made so much, I had plenty to freeze to satisfy my next big craving! I think this recipe's gonna be a winner this coming winter!

Ingredients:

• 1 bulb of garlic - peeled, cloves separated
• 1kg roma tomatoes - cut in half lengthways
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves - finely shredded
• 1 brown onion - finely chopped
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 2 cups chicken stock
• Garlic butter
• Bruschetta bread or ciabatta bread

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. 
2. Line a tray with baking paper. Place tomato (cut-side up) and garlic cloves on prepared tray. Drizzle with 1 tbsp oil. Season with salt and pepper. 
3. Roast for 40 minutes or until tomato is tender. Remove from oven. Set aside to cool slightly. 
4. Process tomato, garlic and the shredded basil until smooth.
5. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. 
6. Add onion. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until soft. 
7. Add tomato paste. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant. 
8. Add stock and tomato mixture. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally.
9. Season with salt and pepper as required.
10. Spread garlic butter on bread and toast. Serve with a cup of soup, garnished with fresh basil leaves.