In Praise of Curry Paste

So J and I were at the Eden Center stocking up on all of the Asian ingredients we can't access from Whole Foods or Safeway and we start talking about our need for a good curry paste. We're looking for a curry paste with a deeper flavor than Thai Kitchen and less heat. And this little old Laotian lady comes up to us and tells us to get the Thai Mae Ploy Mussaman curry paste. It appears that she thinks the picture of the Thai lady on the jar is trustworthy. She tells us that she uses this at home. As I am used to following the orders of little ladies from Southeast Asia (Thank's Mom!), I do what I'm told.

And of course the little old Lao lady is right. It's a great curry paste, with a strong flavor of both chili pepper and lemongrass. I use it for everything now. One of my fav dishes using this key ingredient is Satay chicken. This has a been a reliable party item as it can be served room temperature and can be made ahead of time.

Satay Chicken
1/4 cup nuoc mam
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup Thai Mae Ploy Massaman Curry paste
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 pounds of those chicken tenderloins (that you use for making chicken strips), cut in half

Throw all of the ingredients into a large ziploc bag and marinate at least an hour and preferably overnight. You can even freeze the bag and thaw for later use. In a nonstick skillet, pour a thin layer of oil and let it get hot. Sear the chicken on both sides. Place chicken on a foil covered cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. Cover with a top layer of foil until cool. Place chicken pieces on skewers. Serve with peanut sauce.

Peanut Sauce
1 can of coconut milk
3 tablespoons Thai Curry paste
1 tablespoon nuoc mam
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup

Throw everything into a saucepan. Simmer until thickens and combined. This is just a guideline. Adjust flavors as needed.