There’s something magical about the combination of rich duck meat and Thai red curry! This duck curry recipe features duck breast with golden skin served in a coconut red curry sauce. Add lychees or pineapples for a very special dish that’s to die for!
* THAT IS NOT A PRAWN/SHRIMP in the photo! It’s the hole in a lychee where the seed was removed! 😂 *
Thai red duck curry
I recently enjoyed a beautiful Thai red duck curry at one of my favourite Thai restaurants here in Sydney, Khao Pla in Chatswood, and it inspired me to make my own. The rich flavour of duck meat, with the red curry sauce, the burst of sweet juice from the lychees and freshness from the herbs is one of those eating experiences that I hope everyone tries at least once in their life!
Plus, as much as I love my reliable Chicken Red Curry, duck is special. I’ve always thought of it as a luxury item and I love that duck meat is more readily accessible at grocery store these days. While it is more expensive than chicken, making Duck Curry at home costs, by rough calculations, around 70% cheaper than at a nice Thai restaurant where small bowl can fetch upwards of $30.
Ingredients in Thai Red Duck Curry
Here’s what you need to make duck curry. This recipe calls for 3 duck breasts totalling 500g/1 lb which makes enough curry to serve 4 to 5 people.
1. Duck breast
I’ve eaten and seen duck curry recipes made with all sorts of cuts – whole duck, Marylands (thigh and bone) and breast. Some recipe start with a cooked Chinese BBQ duck while others use a confit method, and some steam/roast/then fry the duck.
I’ve opted for duck breast – easy to cook, relatively easy to get and because I like biting into the rich tender slices of duck smothered in the curry sauce.
Where to find duck breast – These days in Australia it’s fairly common at large grocery stores as well as fresh produce stores and butchers. Look for skin on boneless breast. It costs more than chicken (~$18 for 500g / 1 lb), but it’s special! A luxury product reserved for Thai royalty! (So I’m told by a Thai chef who helped out at RTM a couple of weeks ago 😊)
See FAQ for other duck cuts I have seen used, and why I didn’t opt for them for this recipe.
2. Lychees or pineapples!
To me, lychees are extra special because the season is so fleeting and I love how the pearly white balls look against the red curry. However, I would never hesitate to use pineapple instead – preferably fresh, else canned.
And – tip for you – Asian branded lychees are actually very, very good! I was taken by surprise.
3. thai red curry sauce
You can use homemade red curry paste or store bought, which is what I’ve opted for. If using homemade, you will need a little extra fish sauce (because store bought is well seasoned already).
Red curry paste – It’s pretty well document on this website: Maesri is my preferred! Cheapest and most authentic flavour of brands you can find at (most) grocery stores without digging in the dark corners of Asian stores. I also like that one can(115g / 1/2 cup) is the perfect amount to make a curry using 1 can of coconut milk.
Find it at large grocery stores here in Australia (Coles, Woolies, Harris Farms) and in Asian stores (it’s a staple item).
Garlic and ginger – Adding these gives the store bought curry paste a freshness boost to make it more like homemade red curry paste. It really makes a difference! (Note: ordinarily I use lemongrass but I didn’t feel it added much in duck curry because duck meat is richer in flavour than chicken. So I ended up taking it out of the ingredients.)
Coconut milk – Not all coconut milk is created equal! Good ones are made with 85%+ coconut so have better flavour. Economical ones are diluted with water. Ayam is my default (89% coconut). Full fat please! Low fat is thinner and has less coconut flavour.
Makrut lime leaves – For authentic Thai curry flavour! Imparts a special earthy/herby fresh lime flavour into sauces. Fairly accessible these days at large grocery stores and Asian stores. They freeze 100% perfectly which is handy. (Note: formerly known as kaffir lime leaves. The name has been changed due to racial associations.) See FAQ for uses for leftover lime leaves. Can’t find fresh? Still worth making with dried! Though it is worth making a bit of effort to find fresh.
Fish sauce – This is used as the salt in red curry. More flavour than plain salt!
Sugar – For the right touch of sweetness you find in red curry sauce.
4. herbs and beans
Thai basil is the classic herb used for Thai cooking, but you can substitute with regular basil. The beans can also be substituted with other vegetables – I chose it for colour and shape.
Red chilli – For optional garnish. Use large ones for less heat and small Birds Eye or Thai Chillis if you are a spice monster (or claim you are).
Thai basil – A classic fresh herb used in Thai cooking, it tastes like regular basil with a slightly stronger aniseed and slightly minty flavour. Nowadays it’s fairly widely available in Australia in large grocery stores and green grocers (Coles, Woolies, Harris Farms), but much better value in Asian stores! Substitute with regular basil (I have done so and it’s still company worthy).
Coriander/cilantro – For garnish, Not vital!
Green beans – I chose this as I thought the green colour would look nice in the red sauce. Snake beans (Asian long beans) are also on point, though actually, you can use any vegetable you want that you think will work with red curry sauce. Cherry tomatoes seems common but I feel like with lychees, it’s a lot of same-same shiny balls floating in one dish!
How to make Thai Red Duck Curry
This duck curry recipe is actually very straightforward and has a nice workflow to it. Once you start cooking, you can have it on the table in 30 minutes:
Duck breast – pan seared to render the fat and crisp the skin (10 minutes), finished in the oven (8 minutes) then rested (5 minutes) before slicing.
Red curry sauce – prep the ingredients while the duck is in the pan (it’s hands off), then start the sauce and have it simmering while the duck is in the oven.
Serve – the sauce and duck should be ready around the same time, ready to plate up and serve!
1. cooking the duck breast
Both duck and chicken are poultry, but duck is structurally different. Because of this, duck breast cooked to medium rare is like a beautiful steak – tender, rich and juicy. On the other hand, we would never eat chicken breast medium rare. Chewy! Rubbery!
Note: full duck breast cooking explanations got lengthy, so I moved it to a separate post. I figure it will be handy for future use! See How to Cook Duck Breast.
Slash skin – Use a sharp knife to make 5 to 6 diagonal slashes across the skin of the duck, taking care not to cut into the pink flesh. Don’t cut from edge-to-edge, you want the skin to stay in one piece but just make slashes in the middle.
Then pat the skin dry with paper towels and sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides.
COLD pan with NO OIL – Don’t turn the stove on yet. Place the duck skin side down in an unheated oven-proof pan without any oil. The pan can be cast iron, non-stick, or a regular pan.
Weigh down for flat skin – Place another pan on top of the duck to weigh it down, not a cast iron one though, it’s a little too heavy. This is to prevent the skin from curling and wrinkling.
Cook on low 10 minutes – Now you can turn the stove on! Low if it’s a strong stove, or medium low if it’s a weak burner. The more slowly you cook the duck, the more fat you will render out which means crispier skin. It’s low maintenance too, because it’s low heat.
Fat starts to render – After a few minutes, take a peek and you’ll see fat has started to melt out of the duck.
So much duck fat! At around the 5 to 7 minute mark, the entire pan will be covered in duck fat.
Keep the pan weight on until around the 7 minute mark when the skin has started to go golden and has “set”. While it is still soft, it can still wrinkle/curl = rubbery patches = 😭
Golden crispy skin! Keep cooking until the skin because golden and crispy, around the 10 minute mark, or longer. You can turn the heat up towards the end, once there’s lots of fat in the pan.
Finish in oven – When the skin is golden, turn and cook the flesh side for just 1 minute to seal. Then transfer the pan to at 180°C/350°F oven (160°C fan-forced) and roast for 8 minutes or until the internal temperature is 60°C/140°F which is medium ie. light blush of pink. For medium rare (deep pink, like steak), aim for 54°C/130°F (6 minutes).
Don’t worry if you go over, duck breast is great even fully cooked to 68°C/154.4°F (ie no pink at all, like chicken breast). Think – Chinese BBQ duck. Fully cooked, and delicious!
Rest – Then place the duck on a rack set over a plate, or just a plate, and leave it uncovered to rest for at least 5 minutes while you finish the sauce.
Slice the duck breast just shy of 5mm / 0.2″ thick. Do this just before placing it in the curry sauce. It can rest for well beyond 5 minutes because the flesh warms up once placed in the hot sauce.
2. red curry sauce
The key step here is to cook off the curry paste, whether using homemade or store bought. It makes a massive difference to improve flavour. If you just stir it into liquid, the flavour is so unimpressive!
Cook off curry paste – Sauté the curry paste with the ginger and garlic for 4 to 5 minutes over medium heat. The curry paste will be quite wet at first but will dry out and deepen in colour which improves the flavour of the curry sauce.
Sauce – Add the chicken stock first and simmer to reduce by half. Then add the coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar and lime leaves (crush in hands to release flavour). Stir to combine then simmer for 2 minutes.
Green beans (or other veg) – Add the beans and simmer for 3 minutes until they are just about tender. (If using other vegetables, add them in based on the cook time).
Lychees or pineapples – Then stir the lychees or pineapple in and simmer for just 1 minute just to warm it though rather than cook it until soft. And just before serving, stir the Thai Basil leaves in (it wilts quickly and, like regular basil, darkens in colour with prolonged exposure to heat).
Plating up – Though we’re not aiming for super crispy duck skin in this dish, I still like to serve it with most of the skin above the sauce line because it gets less soggy than stirring it though. Visual purpose as well.
So I put a bit of sauce in the base of a serving bowl then lay the duck breast on top, fanning the slices out slightly to expose the pretty pink flesh. Then I spoon the rest of the curry sauce, lychees etc around the duck breast. Or, I gently place the sliced duck into the pan with the sauce in it, as pictured below.
Garnishes and serve! As with many South East Asian dishes, garnishes not only add lovely colour but also extra flavour! Extra Thai basil, coriander/cilantro and slices of red chilli.
Look at it. It’s so beautiful! A riot of colour, the unmissable pearly balls for lychees, the golden duck skin peeking out above the red coconut curry sauce, and the hint of pink flesh on show which screams “I’m so tender and juicy, no dry duck here!!”.
Take it to the table with pride along with jasmine rice that you steamed earlier (despite a certain food blogger not including that instruction as step 1). Gesture grandly* and stand back for a moment to give your audience time to praise and lavish you with exclamations of appreciation before graciously allowing people to dig in! – Nagi x
* If you are more mature than me, you can skip this part.
PS See FAQ below for suggested sides to complete a Thai menu!
FAQ – Thai Red Duck Curry
This duck curry is based on my Thai Red Curry recipe, inspired by Khao Pla’s Duck Curry and the Thai Red Duck Curry with Lychees in Tony Tan’s beautiful new cookbook Tony Tan’s Asian Cooking Class.
Yes, duck curry is a real dish in Thailand. It is said to have been served to royalty which seems fitting to me because I always think of duck as a luxury meat! I find that many recipes from Thai nationals start with “roasted duck” which is a bit obscure, and others use Chinese BBQ duck.
I opted to start with raw duck breast so everybody making this recipe has a consistent result!
Pineapple seems to be the more common choice though here in Australia, the lychee version is considered a delicacy and because we’re at the tail end of lychee season, that’s what I’ve opted for. As for other add ins, cherry tomatoes is common (I chose not to, because lychees are also round = so many balls!) and Asian eggplant is always a favourite (excellent sponge for sauce!).
In theory it would but there are also drawbacks. Firstly, duck skin is thicker than chicken skin. I do plenty of chicken dishes where I sear the bone-in chicken skin in a pan then finishing cooking the chicken in the sauce (French Fricassee, Kuku Paka Coconut Chicken Stew) and it works beautifully. The skin does get soggy but it’s nice to eat.
Duck skin, on the other hand, gets quite rubbery when braised. You still need to cook it separately – or at least cook it to remove the excess fat and cook the skin so it’s not rubbery before braising it in the curry sauce. Which is why some whole-duck recipes call for steaming first before cutting and deep frying then stirred into sauces. And other duck curry recipes call for using a whole pre-cooked Chinese roast duck.
The other solution would be to remove the duck skin before cooking – but you’d lose so much flavour!!
So essentially, I am doing the former here – cooking the duck through perfectly then serving with the sauce. I contemplated doing a Duck confit where duck is slow cooked for hours buried in duck fat so the flesh is meltingly tender, then roasted to crisp the skin. Then I planned to shred the flesh and stir through the curry sauce.
But honestly, that’s a lot more effort, time and cost. Plus I really like biting into the larger pieces of blushing pink slices of breast – it’s tender and juicy and rich and just fabulous!!!
Asian Slaw, Asian Side Salad, Smashed Cucumbers or, impress me – Thai Green Papaya Salad!
So do I! Always!
The skin is not crispy in this dish in Thailand or at restaurants because the duck is thoroughly stirred into the curry. With mine, I go to a bit of effort to protect the skin by placing slices on top of the curry rather than simmering it in (short simmer time doesn’t do much for flavour absorption by the duck pieces, and we can’t cook for a long time because the duck will overcook).
The practicality of this dish is that we’re dealing with a saucy curry, and crispy skin and sauce are not friends. Especially thin crispy skin, like duck. Thick pork crackling can take a bit of sauce without going soggy. But more fragile crispy skin, like duck and, say, salmon skin, cannot. Which is why you always see sauces and purees served under crispy skin fish and duck at fancy restaurants.
So, the skin is crispy when freshly cooked – which is not so much the goal for this particular recipe as it is the by product of rendering out the thick layer of fat under the skin (it’s just too much fat, we don’t want to eat that). But by the time the duck is rested, sliced and placed in the sauce (which creates a steamy environment for the delicate skin), it is not crispy, crispy.
It’s not the goal. Not for this curry. Trust me, you won’t miss it.
Though, if you are absolutely determined to have crispy skin, I’d suggest serving the duck breast and curry sauce separately, and be careful to time it so the sauce is ready once the duck has rested for 5 minutes, at which point the skin is still lovely and crispy.
There’s no strict rules or traditional cut used in Thailand for duck curry. I’ve seen some recipes call for buying a whole cooked Chinese BBQ duck, chopping up the meat then tossing it into the sauce. Yum – but I wanted to make the duck from scratch.
Others recipes cook a whole duck from scratch. At restaurants, I’ve had it served with whole roasted marylands (thigh and leg attached), as well as with chopped/sliced pieces. I’ve also had duck curry with shredded duck meat (I think it was leg).
I opted to avoid cooking a whole duck to reduce the work, and also I couldn’t see myself making a batch large enough to use all the duck meat.
As for marylands, I did consider this but to be honest, using breast was easier. No bone to worry about removing the flesh off, and it cooks faster.
So breast it is!
Plenty of suggestions – because I’m a fan of Thai food! Freeze it and use from frozen for Thai red curry, Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup, Tom Yum soup, Thai meatballs, beef rendang, Malaysian chicken satay curry, green curry, golden turmeric baked fish and everybody’s favourite Asian coconut rice!
3 – 4 days in the fridge, and YES it freezes well! Thaw then gently reheat so you don’t overcook the duck.
Watch how to make it
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Thai red duck curry
Ingredients
Crispy skin duck:
- 500g/ 1 lb duck breasts , boneless, skin on (3 pieces) (Note 1)
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper (sub finely ground black pepper)
Thai red curry:
- 115g/ 4 oz (1/2 cup) Thai red curry paste (1 can of Maesri, recommended (Note 2) OR 1 batch homemade red curry paste
- 2 large garlic cloves , finely grated (Note 3)
- 2 tsp fresh ginger , finely grated (Note 3)
- 1 cup chicken stock/broth , low sodium
- 400ml/ 14 oz coconut milk , full fat (Note 4)
- 6 – 8 makrut lime leaves , crushed in hand (Note 5)
- 2 tsp white sugar
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 120g/ 4oz green beans , trimmed and cut in half
- 1 lightly packed cup Thai basil leaves (sub regular basil, Note 6)
Lychees or pineapple – CHOOSE ONE:
- 8 – 12 lychees , whole, peeled, seed removed. Fresh best, canned ok too! (Note 7)
- 1 1/4 cups pineapple pieces , preferably fresh, canned ok (Note 7)
For serving / garnish:
- Jasmine rice (cook 2 cups of raw rice)
- Thai basil leaves , extra
- Coriander/cilantro leaves/small sprigs , optional
- Large red chilli , finely sliced (optional)
- Lime wedges , recommended
Instructions
ABBREVIATED RECIPE:
- Slash duck skin, season. Cold pan, no oil, 10 min medium low (weigh down duck) until golden. Reserve 3 tbsp fat. Finish in oven 8 min (target 60°C/140°F, medium), rest. Sauté curry paste in duck fat with garlic and ginger, add stock, reduce by half, add coconut, fish sauce, sugar, lime leaves, simmer 2 min. Add beans, simmer 3 min, add lychees or pineapple, simmer 2 min. Slice duck, serve!
FULL RECIPE:
Crispy golden duck breast:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced).
- Score – Sprinkle half the salt and pepper on the flesh of the duck. Turn. Use a sharp knife to make 5 or 6 diagonal scores on the skin of the breast. Don't pierce the flesh and don't cut all the way to the edge of the skin (Note 8). Pat the skin dry with paper towels, sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper.
- Cold pan, no oil – Don't turn the stove on yet. Use an oven-proof pan (any type). Place the duck skin side down in the cold pan, no oil required. Place another pan on top to lightly weigh the duck down (keeps skin flat).
- Cook 10 minutes – Turn the stove onto medium low. Cook for 10 minutes or until the skin is golden and crispy. Fat will melt out of the duck skin and it will cook in its own fat. (Note 8)
- Reserve duck fat – Pour off 2 to 3 tablespoons of the duck fat into the pan you will use to make the curry sauce.
- Oven 8 minutes – Once the skin is crispy, turn and cook the flesh side for 1 minute. Then transfer the pan to the oven for 8 minutes or until the internal temperature is 60°C/140°F (medium, Note 9)
- Rest – Transfer to a rack or plate and rest for 5 minutes until ready to assemble the curry.
Thai red curry sauce:
- Sauté curry paste – Heat the duck fat (from step 6 above) on medium heat in a deep skillet. Cook the curry paste, garlic and ginger for 4 to 5 minutes. It will dry out and darken in colour, and substantially improves the flavour (especially store bought, but even homemade).
- Sauce – Add chicken stock, stir, then simmer rapidly to reduce by half (2 -3 minutes). Stir in coconut milk, hand-crushed kaffir lime leaves, sugar and fish sauce. Simmer gently on medium for 2 minutes.
- Add ins – Add the beans, simmer for 3 minutes until just cooked. Add the lychees or pineapple, simmer 1 minute. Taste and add a tad extra fish sauce if it needs salt.
Assemble:
- Spoon some sauce in to cover the base of a large deep platter or wide bowl.
- Slice duck breast, just shy of 5mm / 0.2" thick. Place on the sauce, fanning it out slightly to expose the pink flesh.
- Remaining sauce – Spoon the remaining sauce, lychees etc around the duck, avoiding the duck skin.
- Garnish with Thai basil leaves, coriander, chilli and lime wedges.
- Serve – Take to the table with flourish and serve with jasmine rice!
Recipe Notes:
1. Duck breast – Fairly readily available at large grocery stores these days, plus butchers. Also see How To Cook Duck Breast for more detailed information on the why of the duck breast cooking method. I use 3 breasts because 2 is not quite enough meat for the volume of sauce which makes a quantity based on a neat 1 can of coconut milk and 1 can of Maesri curry paste (Note 2). 2. Curry paste – My position on the best store bought Thai red curry is fairly well documented on this website! Maesri is the best – there is just no question, at least, for readily available ones. Find it at Woolies, Harris Farms, Asian stores and online (Australia). (Overseas – Amazon and Asian stores). 3. Grating – Use a microplane or similar to grate it finely so it mixes in really well with the curry paste. Spruces up store bought paste to make it taste like homemade. 4. Coconut milk – Not all coconut milk is created equal! Good ones are made with 85%+ coconut so have better flavour. Economical ones are diluted with water. Ayam is my default (89% coconut). Full fat please! Low fat is thinner and has less coconut flavour. 5. Makrut lime leaves (see in post for former name) – fairly accessible these days at large grocery stores and Asian stores. They freeze 100% perfectly. See FAQ for uses for leftover lime leaves (I have a fair few!) If you can’t find fresh, still worth making with dried (though please try to get fresh, it imparts special flavour into the sauce!) 6. Thai Basil has a slight aniseed flavour. Signature herb for Thai red curry so try not to skip it. Italian basil can be used as a very respectable substitute – I often do! 7. Canned lychees and pineapples are perfectly acceptable if you get a good brand. Asian canned lychees are quite good, in my opinion. 8. Duck tips – Slashing skin lets fat render out for better crispy skin. Avoid cutting the flesh – if you do, juice will come out and the skin won’t be fully crisp. Don’t slash skin all the way to the edge, keep it in one piece (see photos in post). If your duck has a really thick layer of fat (some American breeds do), score diagonally – extra slashes = more fat comes out. Cooking on low heat = more fat renders out = crispier skin + less fat in end dish (too much duck fat can be rubbery and too fatty). So don’t rush this step! 9. Duck doneness – Medium is my preferred for curry, light blushing pink, tender and juicy. You can go as low as medium rare (think – steak!) – internal temperature X. Don’t fret if you go over – duck breast is still great even fully cooked at X.
Leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Freezes ok! 3 months, thaw, then gently reheat. Best way to make ahead (intentionally) – Keep duck breast whole, fully cool, put in containers. Make sauce but do NOT put lychees or basil in. Cool, container. Fridge for both. Day of, pull out of fridge, slice due. Warm sauce, add lychees, simmer 1 min. Stir duck slices in, let them warm up gently, stir in basil leaves. SERVE! Doesn’t look the same as in photos as slices are stirred in and skin is not exposed, but all the flavour is there. Some might argue this is even better because every duck slice is coated in sauce. 🙂 In fact, most restaurants serve it this way. Leftovers keeps for 3 days in the fridge, or freezer for 3 months. It doesn’t bother me at all if the duck skin is sauced up. In fact, the sauce protects the meat from drying out. Heat gently so the duck doesn’t get massively overcooked. Nutrition assuming 5 servings –
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Dozer and I are doing a fundraiser at the local vet hospital this Sunday! It is at SASH in Ryde (Small Animal Speciality Hospital), and it is the vet that saved Dozer’s life this time last year.
SASH reached out to ask if I’d help raise money for Sophie’s Legacy, a charity that aims to reduce suicide among veterinarians. It’s 4x the national average, among the highest suicide rates of all professions. I was shocked and saddened reading about it and the causes of it – lack of industry mental health support, client abuse, overworked, understaffed and people who just give a damn so much who see and do more things than you or I could ever imagine. Like – putting down healthy dogs because the owner cannot afford a knee surgery (this is a tough one), or is moving away and cannot be “bothered” to re-home their pet, or going on a long trip and doesn’t want to pay for boarding.
Yes, this happens. And I’m told that legally, a vet has to do as asked by the owner because pets are the property of the owner.
As you might have guessed, Sophie’s Legacy is a charity set up by the parents of a young veterinarian who sadly took her own life. Their goal is to provide mental health support for vets to reduce suicide in the profession.
Dozer and I are doing a book signing this weekend where attendees are making a donation for each book signed. Unfortunately, the event filled up too fast before I was able to share it here on my website! However, there is a waiting list (join it here), so I can gauge numbers for alternative options.
If you cannot make the event but would like to donate you can do so here – and Sophie’s family and I thank you for your generosity. You can also sign the petition here to lobby the government for change.
Also, Dozer is donation matching – dollar for dollar, hoping to reach our goal of $20,000 across both the SASH event and through the Sophie’s Legacy donation page. He is using his life savings – almost 13 years! 🥰
Dedicated to Dr. Sophie Putland, a daughter, a sister, a friend, and a beloved vet, who tragically took her own life in September 2021, and to all the wonderful dedicated vets of the world who do so much to care for our pets.
Hi,
I have an allergy to coconut – what can I use instead. This looks fabulous, so really want to try it. Many thanks x
Cashew cream would probably be a good substitute. They use it in Indian curries. Or just plain heavy cream.
I use to use canned evaported milk (full fat) , NOT sweetened condensed milk of course mixed with coconut flavoured extract from the baking isle. Works great!
That is GENIUS. I have to try it!! N x
It really is a good substitute if you need to do it for whatever reason.
The only duck I see in stores are whole (cost $4/lb); I’d have to cut it up to make this recipe and use the whole bird (which I can do). I live in Calgary, Alberta.
THAT’S SO CHEAP (she screeches with jealousy)! – N x
Are dried lime leaves an acceptable substitute? I am having trouble finding fresh but I can’t wait to make this!!!!
Hi Chloe – You sure can! Let me pop that in as a tip – N x
Totally fine. What I do is when I see fresh lime leaves I freeze them in a bag. Lasts ages. Just throw how much you need in each meal till gone.
This looks so delicious and I love duck. Soooo good. Your photos make me drool. I saw in the photos that there were also shrimp in the dish. How and when are they added? Were they left off the recipe on purpose? I’m curious. Thanks.
Hi Virginia! that is sooooo funny, it totally looks like a shrimp but it’s not! It’s a partially submerged lychee, the side that seed was taken out 🙂 I’ve now even added a caption to the photo to clarify!!! – N x
Sorry I’m answering for a few questions but I know Nagi is very busy so may not answer and I have cooked a lot of Thai curries even from scratch. There is no whole shrimp but it is in the can of Red curry paste as it enhances the flavour. They are dried shrimp.
He he MY FAULT!! It’s a partially submerged LYCHEE – the side where the seed was taken out. It looks soooo much like a shrimp!! N x
Hey, is it just my computer or is there no answer to a couple of the FAQs?
[‘What starter would you suggest for a Thai meal’ and ‘What about dessert??’]
I feel that this last question is one that must be answered for the peace of mind of we more discerning (or gluttonous) readers.
It never ceases to shock me that vets, dentists and doctors are in the top five. So sorry to hear about Dr Sophie.
By the way, I loved this recipe. Although I was confused about the Thai basil as the only use seems to be as garnish…
Blessings to you and Dozer. I just love this site ..not only because of your fabulous recipes and the story of Dozer but because you give back to society with your free meals and now raising awareness of the terrible conditions that vets are living everyday and many are succumbing too. Please everyone, sign the petition if you can.
I’m definitely going to have a big bowl of refreshing lychee sorbet after devouring this curry!
YES YOU WILL!!! – N x
I have a friend who is a vet tech here in Arizona and whenever an animal comes into the emergency hospitals and the owners wants to put a pet down for no good reason the techs are allowed to ask if they will surrender them. If they do then we have a group that gets called to find someone who will foster the animal until another home can be found. I foster a dog with tumors, a heart condition, is half blind and half deaf, has one back leg that doesn’t work well because of the tumors on his spine. Whoever owned that dog just took him out and dumped him on the street. A kind lady got him into the emergency vet and our friend called to see if we could foster because he was to be put down if they didn’t have anyone. I said yes because I had lost my last dog about 6 months before. Winston is a sweetheart and it’s going to be hard when I lose him too. Dog heart cases are rated from 1 to 4 and he is a 3. I can’t make a donations there but I will try and find a suitable alternative here. God bless those who have lost their loved ones when all they were trying to do was take care of the animals that they love. I honestly don’t know how some of them can keep going. Thank heavens for someone like you and Dozer that can spread the word to make this issue front and center. God bless 🐾🐾🐾🙏🏻🙏🏻
Mary – you have a heart of gold. If the world had more people like you, it would be a better place. HUGS to your boy – N x
omg im so shocked that vets are so high in suicide, its so sad. they do an amazing job of looking after our loved ones. i wish there was proper support for them. awww dozer is so cute matching donations. im sorry i dont have a way to donate (i dont have google pay or a card) wish i lived in australia so i could find a way to give you cash donation. really hope everyone that can, donates. my thoughts are with sophies family n other loved ones. suicide is a subject close to my heart (having attempted it many times myself) and vets are so amazing. i hope they manage to make changes to the law. i know you n dozer will do all you can to help. big hugs to anyone affected by suicide n mental health, big hugs to sophies family, and big hugs to you n dozer.
Big hugs to you as well….you are amazing yourself just by taking the time to address the issue of suicide and mental health…more power to you and stay strong…
Little confused, did I see some prawns in the photos? Didn’t see them listed. Love your so helpful and detailed recipes.
Make the bread couple of times a week
What you are seeing are leeche from the top with the seen removed.
Hi Caroll, I thought there were too but I think it’s the bottom/top? of the lychees.
Hi Nagi,
I confuse with the X means also there are no starter and dessert on FAQ? . .
I must agree with Kerene. Mae Ploy has never let me down.
However, so sad to hear about the high rate of suicide amongst Vets. 😢 They are the unsung heroes.
Thanks hugely to you and Dozer for your part in raising funds for the SASH event – I was not aware of the mental health issues amongst vets. So, thank you for telling us that also. Perhaps some of us can add to the effort as well! It almost does not behove to talk about delicious food offerings at the same time as this but loving duck and loving it Thai way and loving the first read of your recipe, well . . . Oh, you go Maesri and I usually manage Ayam and I did not know how makrut leaves got their name . . . the old one never was meant badly . . .
I’ve been waiting for this ever since you started sneaking peeks! I will be cooking this tomorrow night. Yum!!!
HI Nagi, Thankyou so much for doing this for Sophies Legacy. I will donate today. It breaks my heart to see what vets must go through. Just terrible things you can never unsee, cruelty, abuse, neglect…like you say just putting your pet down because of your own selfishness. Its time for change .
OMG – today I saw both Lychees and Pineapple at really good prices in Dee Why….. LOVE duck – and have just restocked my Maesri Red Curry Paste. Nagi you have just covered my Sunday nights meal – I know it will be great. PS. How inundated have you been with your Job Advert? I’m too old and live to far away – will have to be satisfied with saying hello at the Dog Park.
I like to put lychees AND pineapple in mine. Delicious! And I won’t even make it if I can’t access Thai basil. Growing some in my backyard as we speak….
Nagi – it is like you read my mind. Last week we got a Massaman curry takeaway that had Lychees in it and it reminded me of a favourite duck curry that we used to have at a Thai restaurant in Melbourne (sadly now closed). I actually thought I must try and find a recipe for it – and lo and behold here it is. This will definitely be on next week’s menu!! Thank you!!
Maesri paste has a sour taste. The best shop bought Thai curry pastes are Mae Ploy brand,
authentic flavours, from Asian stores, not available from the big supermarkets. This looks like a great recipe which I look forward to cooking.
Thank you for the tip! I will give it a go and then update ALL my recipes using red curry paste if it’s as good as you say!! I do like Maesri because it’s available even in supermarkets 🙂 N x