- For the curry paste:
- 600g red onion
- 20 garlic cloves
- 40 dried chilis
- 4 lemongrass stalks
- 24 galangal roots
- 50g ginger
- 20 kaffir lime leaves
- 25 coriander roots
- 8 pieces anchovies
- 6 birds eye chilis
- 10g coriander seeds
- 10g cumin seeds
- 10g Muntok white pepper
- 10g fennel seeds
- 10g paprika powder
- For the sauce:
- 1L coconut milk
- 1L coconut cream
- 50g ada rasa palm sugar
- 60ml nuoc mam fish sauce
- 300g red curry paste
- For the Som Tam salad:
- 1 fennel bulb
- 200g sugar snaps
- 200g raw green papaya
- For the Holopa oil:
- 10 bunches Thai basil
- 1L sunflower oil
Monkfish with red curry, Thai basil and Som Tam salad recipe by Tim Golsteijn
Tim Golsteijn
4th February 2019
Monkfish with red curry, Thai basil and Som Tam salad recipe by Tim Golsteijn
An ode to the Southeast Asian staple, this visually-arresting curry marries the delicacy of locally-sourced monkfish with the fragrant, aromatic flavours characteristic of Thai cuisine.
Ingredients
Method
To make the curry paste, fry the onions, peppers and garlic in sunflower oil.
Bake the dried spices in a pan and add the fresh spices.
Put everything in a mortar and blend to a paste.
Mix with remaining ingredients to make the sauce.
To make the Som Tam salad, julienne ingredients. Season with fish sauce, olive oil and ginger oil.
To make the Holopa oil, blanch the basil in cooking water and transfer to ice water immediately.
Dry well.
Put the oil and basil in a thermo blender and blend to 60 degrees on turbo.
Strain through a thin kitchen towel.
Finally, to prepare the monkfish, clean and cut the filets in half.
Roll into cling film (rouleau) and cook them sous-vide at 47°C degrees for an hour.
Cut into pieces and set warm under the pass.
Small Contribution. Big Impact.
The Staff Canteen has always been more than a website—it’s a community, built by and for hospitality. We share the wins, the challenges, the graft, and the inspiration that keeps kitchens alive.
We believe in staying open to everyone, but creating this content takes real resources. If you’ve ever found value here—whether it’s a recipe, an interview, or a laugh when you needed it most—consider giving just £3 to keep it going.
A little from you keeps this space free for all. Let’s keep lifting the industry, together.
