Thai Pigeon-Breast Meatball Curry

[amateur]

I shot a couple of pigeons today, and my wife fancied a Thai curry, so I adapted my Minced Pork Meatball Thai curry for the pigeon breasts.

It was delicious.

Thai Pigeon-Breast Meatball Curry

Ingredients

1 jar of Thai red curry paste

1 tin of coconut milk

1 sachet of microwavable coconut rice

1 bottle Thai fish sauce

2 thumb-size pieces of fresh ginger root

1 garlic bulb

1 packet of fresh coriander 

French beans

A few mushrooms

Broccoli, cauliflower or spinach

2 medium onions.

1 small egg

Salt and black pepper

Cooking oil

The breasts of 2 pigeons 

Method 

Meatballs

Finely mince the pigeon breasts and place in a large bowl.

Peel and grate one of the onions finely into the bowl with the pigeon mince.

Peel and finely chop one of the garlic cloves from the bulb and add to the mince/onion mix.

Peel and finely grate one of the ginger pieces and add to the mix

Add 2 teaspoons of Thai curry paste to the mix

Break the egg and add to the mix

Season with a little salt and pepper, then blend all the ingredients in the mix with a fork.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan and then fry walnut-sized balls of the mix in small batches, say 5 at a time, browning them on all sides. Do not allow them to break up or burn.

Take out of the pan and put to one side on a plate

Sauce

Peel and slice the other onion and slice the mushrooms

Peel the other piece of the ginger, then slice it lengthways into matchstick sized pieces.

Break out 2 cloves of garlic from the bulb, take the skin off, then with the side of a large knife, smash then chop up the pieces

Chop about 1/4 inch off both ends of the beans, then cut them into about 2 inch lengths

Cut a few florets off the broccoli or cauliflower

Chop the coriander into small pieces, stalks and all

Vigorously shake the tin of coconut milk and open it and the Thai curry paste.

Take a large frying pan or wok and pour about 2 tablespoons of oil into it. Put it on the cooker on a medium heat - (halfway on the dial whether gas or electric)

Put the onion and ginger in the pan and let it fry until the onion has turned to a light tan colour. Keep stirring it with a wooden spoon - do not let it turn black.

Add the garlic and mushrooms and then let them fry with the onion for another minute (no more). Keep stirring

Put three heaped teaspoons of the curry paste in the pan and fry with the onion etc for one minute. Keep stirring

Tip the coconut milk and 1 tablespoon of the Thai fish sauce into the pan, stir it all together, then reduce the heat until you see a few bubbles coming up from the liquid, but not so much as it boils.

Add the beans and cauliflower/broccoli/spinach and continue to simmer for about 10 minutes, giving it a stir every couple of minutes. If the curry is sticking to the pan, add a little water to loosen the mix.

After 8 minutes, take the rice sachet, knead it gently to break up the rice, so that it is fluffy and tear along the top about 1/2 inch, put in microwave and cook on full power for 2 minutes.

Whilst the rice is cooking, add the meatballs to the curry and cook for about 5 minutes to ensure that they are cooked through. Only stir the mix gently, otherwise the meatballs will break up

Throw the coriander on top, give it a stir. 

Take 2 large bowls, carefully take the rice from the microwave, tear the top open and pour the rice 50/50 into the bowls.

Ladle the curry on top 

Enjoy 

This takes about 30 minutes to do

You can substitute minced pork or minced fish for the meat above or, you want a fish or shellfish Thai curry, forget about the meatballs and add the fish (cut into chunks) five minutes from the end of cooking and gently poach it in the curry until it is just cooked and flaky

[JDog]

Impressive.  You should swap recipes with Ginger Cat.

[Terry2016]

sounds lovely, will also adapt with duck in the fowling season :-)

atb

Terry