Thai Red Curry Paste

One of my favourite curries is a Thai red curry. It's tasty and goes well with most proteins. You start with a paste and then add too it. The recipe I use is from a book that Dad and I fight over. Technically it's his book but it spends more time at my house.

The recipe says to use dried chilli but I use fresh and it comes out fine. The paste freezes really well and can be used months later with no loss of taste (or at least none that I found).

Thai Red Curry Paste
makes about 10 tablespoons

10-12 fresh, hot red long chillies
5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
140g shallots, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh lemon grass, slices thinly
3 thin slices peeled fresh galangal or ginger
1 thin slice of fresh kaffir lime rind
6-8 fresh coriander roots, washed and coarsely chopped
freshly ground white pepper
1/4 tsp shrimp paste or 2 anchovies
1/2 tsp gnd cumin
1/2 tsp gnd coriander
2 Tbspn bright red paprika

Stick everything in a blender with some water and blend to a paste.

Christmas Lunch

So, I possibly did a stupid thing about an hour ago. I sent a massed email to a large group of friends advertising Christmas lunch at my place in a few weeks.

Why you ask?

For the last few years, a few friends have had a Christmas do. One group does a brunch, another spends the entire day together cooking and then we eat everything, and a third just doesn't do anything. As I'm working most weekends in December, and the one weekend I have off is filled with gigs, I decided to host my own.

Its going to be a very casual affair, eating outside (if the weather permits) byo lawn chair, as we have 4 chairs in the entire house, and everyone brings a plate to share. I'm not cooking for hoards in my little oven.

So its going to be a paper and plastic affair, there may even be a picnic rug spread out for some to sit on. Now to decide on what I'm going to bring.....

Damn, now I'm really going to have to clean the house properly!!