By Chef Rob Ratcliffe

Ingredients

A
½ tbsp whole green cardamom
½ tbsp whole fennel seed
1 tbsp whole coriander
2 star anise
½ tbsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp whole cumin seed
½ tbsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 shallots
4 garlic cloves
½ large knobs of ginger
1 lemongrass stalks
1 green jalapeno
½ bunch of scallion
1 kaffir lime leaves
75 ml grapeseed oil
1 tbsp salt

B
750ml coconut milk
80ml chicken stock

C
4 sprigs of cilantro
6 thai basil leaves
75ml lime juice

Method
Toast all spices except turmeric and blend with everything else from ingredients A.

Make sure lemongrass and ginger are cut small before blending.

Cook paste in a pan for 10-15 minutes.

Add ingredients B and cook for 30 minutes.

Add ingredients C and steep for 1 hour.

Blend and pass through a strainer not a chinoise.

Check curry for salt, acidity, heat and consistency.

Tips

Once the curry sauce is made, you can use the sauce to poach diced fish, prawns or mussels.

Any vegetables you would like to add, I suggest cooking separately and adding at the end. The curry is packed with flavor and might be too aggressive for crab meat.