Panang Lamb Curry

Ingredients (for one serving)

• 1 cup of rice
• 2 pandanus leaves
• 5 g small dried chillies
• 5 g shallots
• 5 garlic cloves
• 5 g galangal
• 5 g lemongrass
• 1 g kaffir lime zest
• 5 g coriander root
• 5 pepper corns
• 10 g salt
• 5 g shrimp paste
• ½ cup chicken stock
• 180 g lamb cutlet
• 2 g grated coconut flesh
• 2 kaffir lime leaves
• 4 g fish sauce
• 4 leaves of sweet basil
• 5 g sugar
• 10 g cooking oil
• 1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper

Method

Steam the rice with the pandanus leaves. To make the panang paste, use a mortar and pestle to grind up the chillies, shallots, garlic, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime zest, coriander, pepper corns, salt and shrimp paste.

Add ½ cup of water to the grated coconut and squeeze out one cup of coconut milk. Heat the oil in a pan and stir-fry the curry paste. When fragrant, add the coconut milk and chicken stock to prevent the mixture drying out.

Add the lamb cutlets and then the kaffir lime leaves, and cook over low heat until the lamb is cooked, the curry thickens and oil appears on the surface.

Add sugar and fish sauce and basil leaves to taste and simmer briefly over a low heat then turn the mixture out into a serving bowl or onto a plate, and garnish with julienned bell peppers.

Remove the pandanus leaves from the rice and serve.

Meet the chef

A native of Thailand, Chef Nathee has worked in the culinary arts in Thailand for more than 14 years with leading hotels and resorts including the Six Senses Hideaway Samui, The Racha Resort Phuket, Banyan Tree Phuket and Bangkok, Evason Phuket & Sixsenses Spa, One & Only Royal Mirage Dubai, JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa, and Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa.

Chef Nathee has a passion for Asian fare and enjoys catering for large, high profile events. In his previous positions, he successfully contributed to the Thai Food Fair as Head Chef, supervising a brigade of chefs, creating inspiring menus and implementing food hygiene standards.

When did you start cooking?

When I was very young I had to help my mother cook for our family. My passion for cooking began at an early age.

What is the best part of being a chef?

Teamwork, travel and creativity.

What is your favorite dish of all to eat?

Any kind of dish made with lamb or with foie gras.

What is your number one priority at work?

Organisational skills to ensure the skilled chefs achieve their highest potential.

If you weren’t a hotel chef, what other career would you follow?

I’d want to run my own restaurant.