Country curry

There are four main reasons I asked Julie to marry me: her curry abilities, incredible good looks, extremely caring heart, and her passion for bringing happiness to others (these are in no particular order). Julie’s curry recipe was the first time I had ever tried this classic dish. She made it as part of a food swap, which you read about in the introduction of this book. I still have the original recipe she hand wrote for me. Country Curry was my attempt at fusing the flavors and aromas of Thai curry with the smokiness of Southern barbecue.

2–3 tablespoons curry paste (red, green, panang, or Massaman are all great in this)
1 can coconut milk, DON’T SHAKE IT UP
2 teaspoons garlic, minced (about 2 cloves)
2 onions, sliced
3 cups (750 mL) chicken broth
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow squash, cut into chunks
1 pound (450 g) okra, pieces cut in half crosswise
2–3 Kaffir lime leaves
1 pound (450 g) smoked pork butt, shredded or chopped
1 pound (450 g) andouille sausage, sliced
½ cup (12 g) Thai basil leaves
10 Thai peppers (optional)
4 cups (1 kg) cauliflower rice

1. Heat curry paste in large Dutch oven until it begins to darken and becomes very fragrant.
2. Add ½ can of coconut milk (should be mostly the thick milk from the top of the can). Incorporate well into the curry paste.
3. When lumps are gone, add garlic and onions and the remaining coconut milk. Stir well and cook until onions soften.
4. Add chicken broth, peppers, squash, okra, and Kaffir leaves to pot and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Cut/shred your pork into large chunks and add to pot along with your basil and sausage. If you want it “Thai Hot,” dice up ½ of your Thai peppers and add them.
6. Simmer for another 20–30 minutes or until okra is tender.
7. Serve over cauliflower rice and garnish with remaining Thai peppers.

Variations—Try with smoked venison or beef, and by all means play around with several curry flavors.

Ingredient Notes—Sauté your cauliflower rice in 2 teaspoons of fish sauce to serve with this recipe.

Hint—Freeze this recipe to enjoy days or weeks later.