Red curry of scallops

General

• This recipe will yield more paste than necessary; the remains can be stored in the fridge for several days. Do not add coconut milk to the paste before refrigerating because it will spoil quicker.
• Source: https://www.withaglass.com/?p=16851PP
• Preparation: about 40 minutes_
• Serves: 2

Ingredients

Curry paste

• 5-8 dried long hot red chillies (deseeded, soaked until soft in warm water and drained)_
• a big pinch of salt_
• 5 thickish slices of galangal_
• 4 tablespoons chopped garlic_
• 3 tablespoons chopped lemongrass (remove the outer tough leaves, the upper 1/3 of the stalk and also the lowest toughest small bit)_
• 3 tablespoons chopped red shallot_
• 1 tablespoon chopped coriander root_
• 10 white peppercorns_
• 1 heaped teaspoon roasted shrimp paste

Fish

• 14-16 scallops (depending on the size and your appetite, of course)_
• 500 ml (about 2 cups) coconut cream (I have used only 250 ml coconut milk instead)_
• 1 tablespoon palm sugar_
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce_
• 250 ml stock (or coconut milk; I have used homemade chicken stock because I prefer a cleaner taste)_
• 4 makrut (also known as kafir) lime leaves, thinly sliced (I always remove the central vein)_
• 1 tablespoon thick coconut cream_
• 1 fresh red chilli, sliced_
• (coriander leaves, torn; I don’t like their presence here, so I have skipped them the second time I prepared this curry)

Procedure

1. Prepare the paste, grinding all the ingredients in a mortar or mixing in a food processor, adding some water in order to obtain a more or less smooth paste (see the tips above).
2. Heat the coconut cream (or milk, if you opt for a lighter version), add 3 tablespoons of the paste (mine were well heaped) and stir-fry for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the sugar, the fish sauce, the stock (or coconut milk) and let it simmer until it thickens.
4. Add the scallops and 2 sliced makrut lime leaves.
5. Let the scallops simmer until they become opaque (if they are not completely covered in liquid, you might have to flip them once).
6. Taste the seasoning and adjust so that the flavours are at the same time salty, hot and fragrant thanks to the makrut leaves.
7. Serve the individual portions or on a serving plate, sprinkle with the fresh chilli, the remaining sliced makrut leaves and coriander, if using.
8. (Refrigerate the remaining paste for several days and use it with other ingredients.)