Coconut – Marbie's Kitchen

Thai Style King Prawn Curry

Michelle Davies — Sun, 18 Aug 2019 12:56:53 +0000

Pan-Asian food is basically my kryptonite. At some point I plan on travelling through various countries in Asia and just eating & sleeping my way through the duration of the trip.

Styled by Michelle Marbie Davies | Captured by A&O Studios

The flavour combinations are just incredible; from the rich spices of an Indian curry, to the juxtaposition of sweet & sour in Thai food – you really can’t go wrong.

I’m not sure where the love began but I fully embrace it and enjoy eating out at amazing restaurant who really pack those flavours into dishes in an authentic way. My go-to is usually a curry, especially one that is coconut based and when I can’t go out to eat somewhere, I’ll try to recreate that experience for myself at home.

Styled by Michelle Marbie Davies | Captured by A&O Studios

There’s some dishes that I’m yet to nail and believe should be kept pure, like a Penang curry or a Peshwari Naan, but some other things can be at the mercy of my creative license – haha! Which brings me to my Thai (Style) King Prawn Curry. It’s my take on a dish I love, well a range of dishes – basically any coconut based curry!

A few important things to note are;

I use coconut cream. Not ‘creamed coconut’ – that rock hard stuff. And also not coconut milk, although you can substitute if need be. But I really wanted something rich and creamy so the actual cream (thick & creamy substance usually in a carton) is what I went for.
Huge prawns are key! I hate looking for prawns in a prawn dish. Like really, why must we get those tiny prawns that disappear? The bag of prawns I buy are cleaned and frozen. A tad pricey at £15 a bag (approx 20 pieces) but I love the quality! But fresh prawns are a must – they can be frozen but never pre-cooked.
Don’t overcook your prawns! You want to add them at a point when they don’t need to sit in whatever you’re making & overcook. Make sure you keep an eye on them and turn the heat off before they reduce to nothing, or become tough & chewy – which is what happens to seafood when you overcook it. Prawns really don’t need a long time to cook. To make sure they maintain their appearance/size, you need to cook them for the least amount of time possible. As long as they change colour from the grey to the pink shade – you’re ok!
Fresh herbs make a huge difference. As always, but in this case some fresh coriander will elevate the whole dish. Don’t skip this!

Styled by Michelle Marbie Davies | Captured by A&O Studios

That’s it for now. Enjoy this quick and easy recipe that will come in handy on school nights, weekends, or whenever you just want an amazing flavour packed dish!

Love,

Marbie

Thai Style King Prawn Curry

Quick and easy coconut prawn curry, packed with exceptional flavour!

800 g King Prawns (defrosted)
1 Large Red Onion (cut into quarters)
3 Red Romano Peppers (cut into quarters)
1-2 Scotch Bonnet Peppers (cut into half)
3 bulbs Garlic (peeled)
Knob of Ginger (peeled)
Handful of Fresh Coriander
2 tbsp Thai 7 Spice
Chicken Stock Pot ((Knorr))
2 carton Coconut Cream ((not creamed coconut))
Handful of Craisins ((optional))
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2-3 Kaffir Lime Leaves
1/2 Fresh Lime

Combine the Onion, Peppers, Scotch Bonnet, Garlic, Ginger, Fresh Coriander, Olive Oil (2tbsp), in a food processor and blitz until almost smooth.
Heat the wok (medium- high heat), then add 2 tbsp of Olive Oil and then add the pepper mixture.
Stir for a few minutes on medium heat until cooked down, then add Thai 7 Spice & Chicken Stock Pot. (no need to dilute the stock pot in hot water)
Add Prawns and stir for 1 minute.(Prawns won't be fully cooked)
Add coconut cream & kaffir lime leaves and stir. Allow to cook for five minutes until prawns are fully pink and sauce has reduced.
Add craisins if you have a sweet tooth like me. Otherwise top off with some more fresh coriander, squeeze fresh lime over the curry and enjoy.
Can be served with rice of your choice but basmati mixed in with some fresh coriander is a great option!

Irresistible Coconut Jollof Rice!

Michelle Davies — Tue, 04 Dec 2018 22:51:37 +0000

For those of you that have never heard of this combination, you’re probably thinking “whattttt?” – as in how on earth did you combine Coconut and Jollof together?

Well at least that’s what I thought when my aunt mentioned making this during a visit to America. I watched with fascination as she flipped a dish that was so mundane on its head. Yes, Jollof Rice is a dish loved amongst most countries in West Africa but sometimes a little twist to the dishes we love the most works wonders!

The prawns added are a nice treat but not a must so don’t feel obliged. However when I add them, they have to be Jumbo Prawns! I really dislike adding the smaller ones that disappear into the abyss of the dish. Splurge a little on the larger prawns and I promise it’ll be worth it!

You’ll also see in the recipe that I don’t use any tinned tomatoes. This is because I much prefer the taste of fresh tomatoes with the fresh peppers and find the dish doesn’t really need anything from a can!

Another thing to note is that the quality of the coconut milk and cream used matter. For the milk, I usually shake the can to make sure it has a thick enough consistency. With the coconut cream, I make sure I don’t select “creamed coconut” which is usually rock hard, but instead I go for “coconut cream” which is actually a thick creamy consistency. It’s usually in similar packaging, a small carton, but trust me – there’s a difference! I find focusing on these two really helps to elevate the flavour of the dish.

Finally, you’ll notice in the recipe that I ask you to use boiling hot water and not cold water. This is because when you add cold water to any dish that’s cooking, you actually slow down the cooking process and often if it’s meat, you can cause it to become tougher because of the change in temperature!

With all that said, enjoy the dish and if you’re willing – share it with some loved ones!

(But I won’t blame you if you decide to eat the whole thing yourself!)

Irresistible Coconut Jollof Rice

This dish brings together two magical things; Jollof Rice and Coconut. Once you taste it, it’ll be hard for you to go back to eating just the normal Jollof Rice. Thanks me later!

6 Cups Sella Rice ((Golden Sella Easy Cook Basmati))
6 Fresh Tomatoes
1 Large Spanish Onion
4 Red Romano/Bell Peppers
3 Scotch Bonnet
4 Cloves of Garlic
3 cans Coconut Milk
1 carton Coconut Cream
1 tbsp Mixed Herbs
1 tsp Curry Powder
3 tbsp Chicken Stock Granules (or sea salt alternatively)
3 tbsp Pure Coconut oil
1 kg Jumbo Prawns
1 Kettle of Boiling Hot Water

Blend peppers, onions, garlic, scotch bonnet and tomatoes. Add a cup of water to help it blend easily but no more than this amount as a thick consistency is needed.
Wash your rice with hot water, then rinse and repeat until it runs completely clear.
Place your pot on a high heat and once hot, add the Coconut oil. Let it heat for 2-3 minutes.
Once this is very hot, add the blended mixture and fry for 15 minutes till the sweetness you usually get from raw tomatoes is gone.
Season with spices, herbs and chicken stock granules then stir. (Be careful as some splashing may occur as the tomato mixture cooks)
After five minutes, add one can of coconut milk. Allow this to thicken up a little (three minutes should do the trick).
At this point, add the washed rice and stir until it is completely coated in the mixture. Then turn the heat down to medium.
Keep stirring to make sure the bottom doesn’t stick and after five minutes, add the second can of coconut milk. Repeat these steps and then add the third can. Once this thickens up a little, add the coconut cream and stir.
From this point on, keep adding the boiling hot water until the rice gets to the softness you require. However, it’s better to add too little than too much as you wouldn’t want soggy rice!
As you add the water bit by bit, let it boil and then stir and taste until it’s just right. If you need to add more salt/stock granules because the water has diluted it, then add some to taste.
All that’s left to do is enjoy the dish!