Thai Curry Penne with Tomato-Ginger Chutney
Why I Love This Recipe
Recipe adapted from the Ponti Seafood Grill, Seattle, WA
For the Thai Cuisine Cooking Class - 101
This dish, or a variation of it, has been on the menu at the Ponti Seafood Grill since at least 1999. The restaurant sometimes adds or subs scallops or shrimp.
While working as a chef at a WY restaurant, I added it to the dinner menu. It got rave reviews. Omit the crab and its a vegetarian's perfect dream dinner.
(Photo: tastebook.com)
Ingredients You'll Need
1 cup wine - for the cook
2 Tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves of minced garlic
1 large green apple (peeled, cored, cut into 1/2” pieces)
2 teaspoons curry
1/2 cup dry Marsala
1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon red curry paste (or to taste- this is what gives it a bite)
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup heavy cream
Chiffonade of fresh basil
1/2 pound crab meat (optional)
1 pound Penne pasta
TOMATO-GINGER CHUTNEY
1 cup wine – for the cook
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2-14 1/2 oz cans diced tomatoes (lightly drained)
2 Tablespoons minced ginger
2 cinnamon sticks
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Directions
Melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, apple, and garlic; sauté until onion is soft. Stir in curry powder; add Marsala. Simmer until reduced by half.
Add chicken stock, fish sauce and Thai red curry paste. Simmer until liquid is slightly reduced, about 5-10 minutes.
Add canned coconut milk and cream. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 10-15 minutes. (This sauce is sometimes a bit runny, so sometimes I dissolve a bit of cornstarch in cold chicken stock or coconut milk and stir it in, to thicken).
Set aside or hold warm while pasta is cooking.
TOMATO-GINGER CHUTNEY
Combine rice vinegar, brown sugar and minced peeled fresh ginger in small saucepan.
Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
Add diced tomatoes, cinnamon sticks and lemon juice and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally, about 10-15 minutes. Discard cinnamon.
Re-warm over low heat or bring to room temp before serving.
PASTA: Cook 1 lb Penne, al dente, drain. Pour sauce over pasta, season with salt and pepper.
To serve: Put pasta in bowl, stir in curry sauce and crab meat, if using. Top with Tomato-Ginger Chutney and basil chiffonade.
Note: Make Tomato-Ginger Chutney first then the Curry Sauce. Both can be made ahead and held warm or re-heated when ready to serve.
