It's sweeter and less hot than most red curries due to the copious amount of coconut cream and milk added to make the thick sauce. But what makes my Panang curry distinct from others? The spice paste is sauteed in rendered duck fat. Need I say more?
Cook’s notes
My original Panang curry recipe was published in May 2020 when we could hardly leave the house and I was pouring my energy into cooking with whatever ingredients were available in the pantry.
Because we were still able to manage a trip to Chiang Mai before borders were closed, we had a sizeable stock of dried herbs and spices from Thailand. A number of ingredients used in making the curry paste for the dish came from that stash.
In this updated recipe, a few modifications are introduced. Instead of using coconut milk throughout the cooking, coconut cream is added to the spice base until the cream curdles and the solids separate from the fat. The browned duck is added to the mixture, coconut milk is poured in and the long and slow cooking begins. The sauce tastes richer that way but the overall appearance of the cooked dish remains the same (hence, I didn’t bother taking new photos).
About the spice paste. While it is convenient to resort to ready-to-use red curry paste that one can easily get in most Asian stores, making spice paste from scratch gives this dish an incomparable flavor and aroma.
Panang (Phanaeng) duck curry
Ingredients
Spice paste
- 4 large dried red chilies
- 1 teaspoon rock salt
- 4 white peppercorns
- 4 cardamon seeds
- ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
- 4 slices dried galangal soaked in warm water until softened
- 1 teaspoon grated kaffir lime zest
- 4 slices fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons sliced lemongrass stalks
- 2 shallots peeled and quartered
- 4 stalks cilantro roots rinsed well
- 2 tablespoons shrimp paste
- 2 tablespoons palm sugar
- 1 one-inch piece cinnamon bark
Stew
- 1 whole duck about 2 kilograms / 4.4 pounds, cleaned and cut into serving-size pieces
- 2 cups coconut cream (canned is okay) divided
- 6 to 8 cups coconut milk (again, canned is okay)
- fish sauce to taste
Garnish
- torn cilantro leaves
- Thai basil
Instructions
- Using a large mortar and pestle (or a food processor), grind together all the ingredients for the spice base until pasty. Set aside.
- Spread the duck pieces, skin side down, in the still cold pan. Set the heat to medium and allow the duck skin to brown and render fat.
- Flip the duck pieces over and brown the opposite sides.
- Stir up the duck and continue browning, with occasional stirring, until the pieces are glistening with fat.
- Scoop up the duck pieces and set aside.
- In the remaining rendered duck fat, saute the spice paste until softened.
- Pour in a cup of coconut cream and continue sauteeing, stiring often, until the solids separate from the oil.
- Return the duck pieces to the pan and toss to coat with the sauteed spice paste.
- Pour in four cups of coconut milk.
- Stir in about two tablespoons of fish sauce.
- Bring to the boil, lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer the duck until the meat is tender and easily separates from the bone, about an hour and a half to two hours, depending on the age of the duck.
- If the liquid dries out before the duck is tender, add more coconut milk, no more than a cup each time. You want the liquid to reduce and the flavors to concentrate, and you don’t want a soupy stew so add liquid only as needed.
- While the duck cooks, taste the sauce occasionally and add more fish sauce, as needed.
- When the duck is done, stir in the remaining coconut cream.
- Taste the sauce, add more fish sauce if needed, and allow the stew to come to a simmer.
- Scoop out the duck pieces and transfer to a serving bowl, ladle the sauce over them and sprinkle with Thai basil and cilantro before serving with rice or flatbread.
Herb and seed fried rice