Prawn Curry

To make the prawn curry, first clean the prawns to prepare the shellfish stock: remove the head and shell 1 and set them aside, then cut the back of the prawns with a knife 2 and remove the black thread inside, which is the intestine 3; you should end up with about 1.3 lbs of cleaned prawns.

Put the prawns in a bowl, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil 4 and a teaspoon of turmeric 5, mix well 6, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let them marinate in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest.

Continue by cleaning the vegetables: wash and peel the onion and carrot, and roughly chop them 7, then do the same with the celery stalk, keeping the leaves 8. Finally, peel the ginger and cut it into not too small pieces 9.

Now pour the vegetable oil into a saucepan and heat it over high heat, then add the celery, carrot, onion, and ginger 10, add the prawn heads and shells 11, and toast them for 2-3 minutes, still on high heat, pressing the scraps well with a wooden spoon to release all the juices 12.

Deglaze with the brandy 13 and let it completely evaporate, then cover the ingredients with cold water 14, lower the heat and let it cook for at least 45 minutes. When the shellfish stock is ready, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve 15 and set it aside.

While the stock is cooking, you can prepare the ingredients for the prawn curry: peel the shallot and slice it fairly thinly 16, then do the same with the garlic cloves 17. Finally, take half the chili pepper, remove the seeds, and slice it thinly 18; to remove the seeds more easily, you can rub the whole chili between your hands, then cut off the top and tap it upside down on the cutting board to get them out.

At this point, heat the fish stock and keep it handy, then take out the prawns you had left to marinate in the refrigerator. Heat a wok well with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, add the shallot, garlic, and chili 19, and let it infuse over high heat for a few minutes, adding a ladle of stock if necessary. Add the prawns seasoned with turmeric 20, stir briefly to combine them with the sauté, then cover with the fish stock 21 and let cook for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, take the red curry paste, add a teaspoon of rice flour 22, and mix thoroughly, then add it to the wok 23 along with another ladle of stock; mix well 24 and let cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Finally, add the chopped parsley 25, adjust the salt 26, and turn off the heat. Your tasty prawn curry is ready to be served 27!