This Riff on a Traditional Thai Curry Is the Good Consolation Meals

I grew up within the sweltering warmth of Thailand, the place temperatures not often drop beneath the “gentle sweater” mark. Because of this, I developed one thing of an obsession with the chilly; the concept of 4 seasons was thrilling to me. I pored over my well-worn copies of Jill Barklem’s Brambly Hedge books and was captivated by the comfy actions the mice acquired as much as of their tree stump village: organizing winter balls, steaming up Christmas puddings, and placing their little ft up in entrance of roaring fires. 

Whereas I’ve but to find the utopian commune of my desires right here in New York’s Hudson Valley, the place I now reside, I’ve wholeheartedly embraced chilly northeastern climate, in addition to the hardy produce that comes with it. One of many cornerstone items of produce from the colder months is winter squash, although its season extends effectively past the precise winter season—butternut squash and different hard-skinned pumpkins start to seem at native markets within the late summer time and may nonetheless be discovered piled up at farmers markets many months later, within the early spring. It is the proper car for this baked squash curry, which is a welcome meal at the very least three out of the yr’s 4 seasons. Impressed by conventional Thai hor mok, a kind of steamed curry, it options candy, nutty squash with a kick of warmth from pink curry paste.

Hor mok (ห่อหมก) is extra of an method than a selected dish: The time period describes a standard cooking methodology the place a mix of fish, contemporary herbs like Thai basil and makrut lime leaves, and spices are wrapped up (hor; ห่อ) in a banana leaf, then buried (mok; หมก) within the ashes of a cooking fireplace to bake slowly. (Hor mok has shut cousins within the cuisines of neighboring nations, like Cambodia’s amok, a steamed fish curry.)

Whereas regional variations abound, the commonest model of hor mok in Thailand as we speak is made by combining minced fish, pink or yellow curry paste, eggs, and coconut milk. (Shredded greens like cabbage are typically included for texture.) The combination is wrapped in banana leaves or foil, then steamed on the stovetop or baked in an oven. The dish is basically a savory, spicy custard. Whereas hor mok can differ in measurement, they’re typically made in single-serving packages to allow them to be eaten with rice as a solo meal or as a part of a dinner unfold for a bigger group. 

Just a few years in the past, I used to be looking by a number of hor mok recipes in preparation for a non-public dinner I used to be cooking. I got here throughout one in Momluang Terb Xoomsai’s Ratanakosin Dishes 1982, an out-of-print cookbook that showcases a variety of refined, fashionable recipes from one in all Thailand’s foremost culinary consultants. In contrast to many hor mok recipes, which have you ever incorporate complete overwhelmed eggs, Xoomsai’s spin concerned beating egg whites on their very own till gentle and fluffy, then folding them into the remainder of the elements, producing a lighter model of traditional hor mok. Its texture jogged my memory of a butternut squash soufflé I made at a restaurant a few years in the past as a prep prepare dinner—and so, I made a decision to create a vegetarian riff on conventional hor mok utilizing Xoomsai’s method. 

The result’s a luxuriously creamy custard that’s boldly flavored with butternut squash and pink curry, with a light-weight, ethereal texture just like a French soufflé.

The Key Strategies That Make This Recipe Nice

Beat the eggs effectively—however don’t overwhip them. It might be tempting to whip your egg whites on excessive velocity, however I like to recommend whisking them on medium, which is able to take a bit of longer however end in a stronger, extra secure foam and decrease the danger of your egg whites overwhipping. Overwhipped egg whites don’t maintain their air effectively, and can probably end in a soufflé that deflates rapidly. To make sure all of your exhausting work doesn’t go to waste, gently fold the whipped egg whites into your custard base. The longer and extra aggressively you stir, the extra air bubbles you’ll lose, leading to a dense custard that gained’t rise.

Use a candy winter squash. I go for candy, earthy butternut squash in my recipe beneath, because it’s extensively accessible in lots of US grocery shops. If you may get your arms on honeynut squash, although, they’ve a extra concentrated taste than butternut squash and make a superb different (simply observe that honeynut squash are a lot smaller than butternet, so you will want extra of them to get the identical weight). 

Roast the squash first. To include the squash into the soufflé combination, it’s important to prepare dinner and purée it first. There are various methods to organize squash, together with boiling, steaming, and microwaving. Roasting the gourd at a excessive temperature, nonetheless, concentrates the squash’s taste by driving off moisture and permits the Maillard response—a sequence of chemical reactions that happen when proteins and sugars are reworked by warmth—to happen, leading to squash with a a lot sweeter, extra advanced taste.

Retailer-bought curry paste is ok. You may make your personal curry paste, however for this, store-bought pink curry paste is completely superb, because the flavors within the paste play a supporting position to the candy, nutty, earthy squash. For essentially the most fragrant base, I begin by sautéing the curry paste, which blooms the spices, releasing fat-soluble taste compounds that infuse extra totally into the dish. (Remember the fact that most conventional Thai curry pastes comprise shrimp paste, so make sure to test the elements in case you are trying to maintain the dish vegetarian.) 

Prime it off with coconut cream, makrut lime leaves, and slivered pink peppers. The dish is nice as is, however is particularly scrumptious when dressed up with thickened coconut cream, a chiffonade of zesty makrut lime leaves, and spicy pink chiles, which is what number of Thai eateries serve conventional hor mok. The coconut cream balances the spice of the curry, the makrut lime leaves add a refreshing pop of perfume and brightness, and the pink chiles give it a spicy kick. Search for a scorching pink chile like chook’s eye, Fresno, or jalapeño—however should you’d prefer to maintain it delicate, matchsticks of pink bell peppers or lunchbox peppers work too.

I really like this dish served with plain rice, nevertheless it’s additionally good as a part of an even bigger unfold; for example, served with different Thai dishes like a zesty salad or a meaty stir-fry. I’ve additionally discovered it to be an awesome non-traditional aspect for a roast rooster as effectively.

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