White fish in mild Thai curry sauce

When eating at Thai restaurants, I often select fish in curry sauce on the menu. I love the way most good Thai restaurants prepare their fish - it always stays very moist and savory from the sauce. Their sauces are usually heavenly, velvety in texture and sweet-smelling in aroma.

When I first tried to make this, I followed the recipe that was printed on the Thai curry paste jar. And boy, did it not turn out as I had expected, in a bad way. It was too salty or too watery. But cooking good food comes with a bundle of patience and a handful of trial-and-error experiences. Today, I finally nailed the dish.

Recipe "au pif":
Thick Halibut fillets or Sea bream whole fish
1 tbsp minced lemon grass
2 tbsp finely chopped scallions
2 tsps finely chopped ginger
1 small garlic clove finally chopped
3 tbsp red Thai curry paste (qty to taste)
1 tbsp fish sauce (nuoc mam)
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 handful coarsely chopped cilantro
Canola oil for cooking

Heat about 2 tbsp oil in wide pan. Add in lemon grass, garlic, ginger, scallions, curry paste and fish sauce. Stir until all well combined.
Pour in coconut milk and stir. Taste to see if more should be added - curry paste is usually very salty.
Add more coconut milk or curry paste until spices of the sauce are well balanced, meaning not too salty or milky. The sauce should have a smooth, sweet taste from the coconut milk, with a pronounced curry flavour.
Let the sauce simmer for 1 minute and add in the chicken or vegetable broth. Set heat to medium and let sauce reduce for about 2 minutes, by continuously stirring.
Carefully put in the fillets or fish in the sauce and pour sauce over fish with spoon. Cover pan to let the fillets or fish cook slowly from the steam for about 10 minutes, on medium heat. Keep spooning some sauce over the fish.

Serve on a large platter and pour the sauce over the fish. Sprinkle some cilantro for presentation and added flavour.

Enjoy this wonderful Thai curry dish with a fish that has been slowly steamed and bathed in the mild curry sauce. Mouth-watering.