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Denmark, Europe · Frikadeller

Thai Red Curry Frikadeller (Danish × Thai)

Bite-size Danish meatballs seasoned with coriander stems and fish sauce, simmered in coconut red curry and spooned over jasmine rice.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time38 min
DifficultyMedium
About servingsMinced pork must be cooked all the way through (72 °C in the centre).

Method

  1. Rinse the rice 2 or 3 times until the water runs clear and put it in a 16 cm pot with the water. Bring to the boil over high heat, cover, turn down to low heat and cook for . Turn off the heat and leave it covered to steam for 10 minutes; don't lift the lid.

    Add in this stepJasmine rice 150 gWater for the rice 210 ml

    high heat→low heat

  2. Chop the coriander stems very finely and set the leaves aside. Grate the onion finely. In a bowl, mix the pork, salt, half the fish sauce, the onion and chopped coriander stems firmly for 1 to 2 minutes until sticky, then mix in the measured egg and the flour. With wet hands, roll into balls 3 to 4 cm across, about the size of a walnut.

    Add in this stepMinced pork 250 gOnion ½Fresh coriander (stems and leaves separated) 5 gSalt 1 pinchFish sauce 1 tspEgg, beaten (use only the amount shown) ½Plain flour 2 tbsp

  3. Heat the oil in a 26 cm frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the meatballs for , rolling them around, until browned all over. They don't need to be cooked through yet; they will finish in the curry. Fry in batches if the pan is crowded, then set aside on a plate.

    Add in this stepVegetable oil 1 tbsp

    medium-high heat

  4. Keep the same pan over medium heat. Spoon in the thick cream from the top of the coconut milk (the share shown), add the curry paste and fry for , until it smells strongly fragrant and a little red oil separates.

    Add in this stepThai red curry paste 1½ tbspCoconut milk (don't shake the can) 50 ml

    medium heat

  5. Stir in the remaining coconut milk, the palm sugar, the rest of the fish sauce and the bell pepper cut into bite-size pieces, then return the meatballs. Simmer over medium-low heat for , until the sauce thickens slightly; cut a meatball open to check there is no pink inside (72 °C). Keep it at a gentle bubble; a hard boil can split the coconut milk.

    Add in this stepCoconut milk (don't shake the can) 150 mlPalm sugar (or light brown sugar) 1 tspFish sauce 1 tspRed bell pepper ½

    medium-low heat

  6. Turn off the heat, squeeze in the lime juice and tear over the basil and coriander leaves. Serve the rice in bowls with plenty of curry and meatballs on top.

    Add in this stepLime ½Thai basil (or regular basil) 5 gFresh coriander (stems and leaves separated) 5 g

Cook's tip

Curry pastes vary a lot in heat, so start with less than shown, taste and add more. Balance at the end: fish sauce for salt, palm sugar for sweetness, lime for sourness. Minced chicken thigh works well instead of pork.

Cooking it at camp

Roll the meatballs at home and carry them in a cooler below 5 °C. At the campsite, brown them and simmer the curry in one deep pan. Use ready-cooked rice pouches or rice noodles so a single burner is enough.