A heartwarming, versatile dish - just add your favourite seafood
In 2024 the impossibly talented Chef, Courtney Roulston took to our cooking demonstration stage for the third time – and her first time cooking!
This is a versatile seafood curry that can adapt to the catch of the day, whether that be snapper, barramundi or cod, or a rich mix of prawns, squid and mussels.
Fish Curry with Lemongrass & Coconut
Ingredients:
• 2 cups basmati rice
• 6 kaffir/makrut lime leaves
• 800g firm white fish, bones removed, cut into 2 inch chunks
• 4 tablespoons light olive oil
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups good quality chicken stock
• 2 cups green beans or snowpeas, trimmed
• 1 x 400ml can coconut cream
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 cup coconut flakes, toasted
• 1 lime
Curry Paste:
• 2 lemongrass stems, white and green parts separated
• 2 French shallots, peeled, roughly chopped
• 1⁄2 bunch coriander, stems & leaves separated
• 1⁄4 cup fresh ginger, peeled, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 long red chillies, roughly chopped, plus 2 extra to garnish
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Method:
1. Place the rice into a large pot & cover with 4 cups of boiling water. Tear up 2 of the lime leaves then add in with the rice. Cook until the water has been absorbed, then turn down the heat very low and cover with a lid. Leave to steam for 10 minutes. For the garnish, finely slice the remaining lime leaves then toss in a bowl with the coconut flakes, 1 of the sliced long red chillies and the coriander leaves. Set aside.
2. Chop the white part of the lemongrass stalk, leaving the top green part as a whole piece. Place the chopped lemongrass into a small food processor along with the other spice paste ingredients & 2 tablespoons of oil. Season with salt & pepper then blitz until you have a fragrant paste, adding a dash of water if the mixture needs loosening.
3. Heat the remaining oil in a large heavy based frying pan over a medium heat. Add in the spice paste & cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Stir in the cumin, ground coriander and turmeric & cook for 2 minutes, stirring until they smell toasted. Pour in the chicken stock & use a wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Gently bash the reserved piece of lemongrass with the back of a knife then add into the pot. Stir in the beans & half the coconut cream then bring the curry up to a simmer. Add in the fish and leave on a low heat for 5 minutes, or until the fish is just cooked.
4. Turn off the heat then stir through remaining coconut cream, juice of 1/2 a lime & fish sauce.
5. Serve the curry with steamed rice & garnish with the reserved coconut & lime leaf mixture.
Proudly supported by Julian, Liz and the team at Narooma Better Home Living
It’s always a full house in the Narooma Betta Home Living Cooking Demonstrations at Narooma Oyster Festival. In 2024, we were delighted to feature NSW seafood in every dish, supported with grant funding from the Eat More NSW Seafood Program.
Chefs love to visit Narooma to share their favourite oyster and seafood recipes and explore the oyster farms, the audience love receiving our recipe hand outs and learning new things to try at home. If they’re lucky, get a taste of some incredible dishes too.
It’s all included in Saturday General Admission Ticket, with dates for the next festival set for May 2-3, 2025.
