Simple Canadian-Thai Jumbo Black Tiger Shrimp In A Green Curry Sauce
Here a simple step-by-step homemade “Canadian style Thai inspired” Jumbo Black Tiger Shrimp in a Green Curry Sauce.
*Please read the notes below the recipe for a full understanding of this recipe to maximize your perfect curry potential & avoid one mistake that will ruin your shrimp.
Ingredients:
2 lbs of raw washed Jumbo Black Tiger Shrimp
2-4 White Onions sliced or chopped
1 full head & stock of Bok Choy cut into strips
4-8 Large Sweet Red Bell Peppers cut into strips
2 Tbsps. of Green Curry Paste (prepared)
28 fl. ounces of Coconut milk (2 cans approx.)
Instructions:
After washing and prepping your ingredients you can start cooking. You will want to finish all of your prep work before you even turn on the stove. This is essential to the simple essence of this fresh and quick curry dish.
1. You will need to cook your shrimp first in frying pan at medium-high heat for 2-5 minutes. This will be a very quick fast fry. Heat your pan up prior to adding the shrimp however, you do not want to burn them. Add a dash of water if they are not wet enough to fry up without sticking. Stir constantly and remove from frying pan into a bowl. You will know when the shrimp are done they will be pink. They do not have to be entirely cooked but must be starting to pinken as they will cook only a few minutes longers in the curry. We do not want to boil them too long and want to maintain they’re fresh, somewhat crunchy texture we will get out of frying the shrimp in a pan separately before hand. * See photographs for this recipe’s instructional guidance and step by step cooking instructions.
2. After removing shrimp from the frying pan you will leave your heat on and toss in the onions. Sautee the onions until they are slightly browned and translucent. Pour in a can of coconut milk to absorb the flavors of your shrimp and onions. Next you will add your green curry paste in slowly, stirring on medium-high heat until fully mixed into your frying pan rue. This will turn your coconut milk a soft green colour with a spicy flavor.
3. We are going to switch pans and make the transfer from the frying pan into the largest stock pot you own, preferably ranging from 6 to 20 quarts if cooking a full batch. Pour your green curry coconut milk into your stock pot. Now you will add your chopped vegetables and the other can of coconut milk. (See photo below) Boil this on medium-high heat until the vegetables are blanched and the sauce has boiled down to mesh and combine the flavors. Cook sauce to desired thickness.
*Your kitchen should smell absolutely incredible by now, the sauce will be blended throughly and the veggies should look “almost” finished.
4. Time to add your amazing Jumbo Black Tiger Shrimp or substituted protein. Turn the temperature down to a simmer for a very short time. Approximately 3-5 minutes, just enough to heat them and blend the flavors. It is key to not overcook your shrimp at this stage, they will become lifeless. A quick mix into the sauce will heat them up and tie the dish together. You do not want your vegetables to become to soggy either. After turning off your stove burner you will want to remove your large stock pot of ready to eat Green Shrimp Curry right off the heated burner.
Cook and serve with scented Jasmine rice or white Basmati rice. Serve over the rice or on the side depending whether you enjoy a saucy, soupy rice or dry rice and a bowl of curry on the side.
NOTES:
*This is a large batch recipe designed to be cooked in a large stock pot to feed the entire family. If desired you can easily cook a half recipe order of this dish which is perfect for 2 or 3.
*I created this flexible recipe from available ingredients at my local grocers, you can easily substitute the Jumbo Black Tiger Shrimp with any sort of shrimp or chicken. Red meat and fish are not recommended as much due to the power of the green curry spices in this recipe, however if chosen correctly you could use other “Fruits De Mers” beautifully in this dish such as calamari or squid.
*No meat is necessary and this makes an excellent easy vegetarian curry, this recipe also works deliciously with Tofu protein cut into squares, pan fried until lightly browned and added at step 4 to absorb the spices and flavors in substitute for the shrimp.
*This is designed for green curry paste, it is not suggested substituting this for a red curry paste, it will destroy your beautiful shrimp.
*When shopping for your curry more great vegetables to include are baby corn, watercress, Chinese cabbage, mung beans, assorted colours and flavors of pepper varieties such as Thai chili peppers, bell peppers and even jalapeño peppers and any other vegetables you can find suitable in your local grocery store for a reasonable price.
*Simple price smart substitutes include green peppers over red peppers or yellow onions over white. Your curry will be excellent no matter which variants of ingredients you choose, this all depends on availability, preference and price when creating the perfect flexible curry.
*After cooking your shrimp you can choose to remove the shells for a cleaner easier to eat curry or leave them on to hold in the juices while eating your fun and messy curry. For flavor reasons I prefer to leave them on while cooking. It is not suggested to remove after cooking until plated and eating as the shrimp will be softer and more likely to tear or shred at this stage. If you want the shells removed for the final product do this after cooking the shrimp, but before adding them to your curry pot.