Palisa Anderson sour orange fish curry

INGREDIENTS

• 100 gm skinless firm white fish, such as snapper, cobia or kingfish
• 1.125 litres (4½ cups) chicken stock
• 250 gm green papaya, peeled, quartered lengthways and cut into large pieces
• 125 ml (½ cup) tamarind concentrate
• 85 gm (¼ cup) soft palm sugar
• 60 ml (¼ cup) fish sauce
• 16 green king prawns, peeled, deveined, heads and tails intact
• 2 tbsp lime juice (or to taste)
• Steamed rice, to serve

Curry paste

• 30 gm fresh red turmeric, coarsely chopped
• 5-7 dried long red chillies, soaked in cold water (10 minutes) and coarsely chopped
• 1½ tbsp dried birdseye chillies, coarsely chopped
• 50 gm red shallots, coarsely chopped
• 50 gm wild ginger (see note), coarsely chopped
• 1¼ tbsp shrimp paste

METHOD

1. 1For curry paste, add ingredients to a mortar in order of toughness starting with turmeric, then chillies, shallots, ginger and shrimp paste, pounding until a paste. Keep ⅓ cup curry paste in mortar; the remainder can be frozen.
2. 2Poach fish in a saucepan of simmering water over medium heat until firm (5 minutes), then cool. Add fish to reserved curry paste and pound with a mortar and pestle to a fine paste.
3. 3Add stock and fish paste to a small saucepan and bring the boil, stirring, over medium heat. Add papaya, tamarind, sugar, fish sauce and 2 tsp salt, and simmer until papaya begins to turn translucent (12-15 minutes). Add prawns and simmer until opaque (3 minutes). Add lime juice, seasoning to taste, and serve with steamed rice.