Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 red bell pepper, julienned
- 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 2 cans (13.5 ounces each) full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 can (14 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 12 jumbo prawns, shells and heads on, deveined
- Juice of 1 lime
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 branzino fillets (5 ounces each)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (for rice)
- 4 lime leaves
- 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised
- Fresh Thai basil leaves, for serving
- Fresh mint leaves, for serving
- 1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped (optional)
- 2 limes, cut into wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add vegetable oil. Sauté red bell pepper for 5 minutes until softened.
- Stir in red curry paste, ginger, and garlic; cook until fragrant.
- Add coconut milk, crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, fish sauce, and brown sugar. Simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Add prawns to the curry and simmer for 4–5 minutes until cooked through. Stir in lime juice and season with salt and pepper.
- For the fish, cut each branzino fillet in half and score the skin. Pat dry, season with salt and pepper.
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat with olive oil. Cook fish skin-side down for 5 minutes, add butter halfway through. Flip and cook 3 more minutes. Drain on paper towels.
- To make rice, combine jasmine rice, 3 cups water, salt, lime leaves, and lemongrass in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10–13 minutes.
- Remove from heat, let rice rest for 15 minutes. Discard aromatics and fluff with a fork.
- To serve, place rice in bowls, spoon curry around it, and top with shrimp and branzino. Garnish with Thai basil, mint, peanuts (if using), and lime wedges.
Notes
- Substitute branzino with sea bass or snapper if needed.
- To reduce spice, use less curry paste or more coconut milk.
- Curry sauce can be made a day in advance and reheated.
- Lime zest can replace lime leaves in the rice.
- Use certified gluten-free fish sauce and stock to keep the dish gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Searing & Simmering
- Cuisine: Thai-Inspired
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 720
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 880mg
- Fat: 45g
- Saturated Fat: 28g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 42g
- Cholesterol: 180mg
