Being a great fan of Duck, when I saw @emsfood post for Crispy Duck Breast with Red Curry Sauce, I knew I had to try the recipe. I’ve adapted the recipe to make the ingredients a bit more accessible substituting chicken thighs for the duck breasts, lemon zest for lemon grass, and a bay leaf and lime zest for the kaffir lime leaves. If you don’t like duck, or the cost of duck is prohibitive, chicken thighs are a good substitute in any recipe that calls for duck. If you can’t find Red Thai chiles, an acceptable substitute is Serrano or Jalapeño chile although neither is not as hot as the Red Thai chile. You can adjust the heat up by increasing the red curry paste to 1 1/2-2 tablespoons, or by adding an 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne powder at a time until you reach the desired spiciness. Remember it’s easier to add heat (spiciness) in small amounts than it is to take it away once added to a dish. If you can’t find a Red Thai chile, substituting a Serrano or Jalapeño chile for the Red Thai chile yields a curry sauce that is is very flavorful with mild heat. For lovers of duck recipes be sure to check out the link to @emsfood for Crispy Duck with Red Curry Sauce.

Crispy Chicken Thighs with Red Thai Curry Sauce
Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of peanut oil (or coconut oil or canola)
4 chicken thighs, skin on
2 teaspoons of Chinese 5 Spice Powder (available in the Asian foods aisle of the supermarket, or your local Asian foods market. See *Note)
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 tablespoon of grated ginger
zest from ½ lemon
1 tablespoon of red curry paste
14 ounce can of coconut milk (light if you prefer)
2 tablespoons of fish sauce
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
2 teaspoons lime zest
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 bay leaf
1 long red Thai chili, finely sliced (seeds removed optional; substitute 1 large Serrano chile)
1/2 cup of cilantro

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

To prepare the chicken thighs, pat the breasts dry with a paper towel. Place the 5 Spice and sea salt in a mortar and pestle and grind until the salt has broken down. Sprinkle evenly over the thighs and then rub in so they have a fine powdered coating. (Alternatively sprinkle with 5 Spice and then salt and rub in.) Set aside.
Heat a medium-sized saucepan, add a tablespoon of oil and lightly fry the ginger and one-third of the chile. Add the curry paste and fry for a further 60 seconds before pouring in the coconut cream. Season with the fish sauce, lemon zest, bay leaf, lime zest, lime juice, and brown sugar and stir well to combine. Allow to simmer on a very low heat for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally.
Heat a large oven-proof fry-pan (cast iron) slowly until it is really hot and add a tablespoon of oil. Place the thighs skin side down and fry for 3-5 minutes until the skin is golden brown and beginning to get crispy. Turn skin-side up and fry for another 3-5 minutes.
Place in the oven skin-side down for 5 minutes; turn-over and cook in the oven skin-side up for 5 minutes. (or until an insta-read thermometer reads 160-165)
Plate and spoon over the sauce and garnish with chopped cilantro; lime wedges are optional.

Serve with steamed rice and sauteed baby bok choy, broccoli, or veggie of choice.

Wine Pairing: serve with an off-dry wine like a dry Riesling, Chenin Blanc (Vouvray), or Gewürztraminer

Adapted from: https://emsfoodforfriends.com.au/crispy-duck-with-red-curry-sauce/

*Note: 5 Spice Powder Recipe:
Yield ¼ cup
Ingredients:
• 6 Star Anise pods
• 1 ½ teaspoons whole cloves
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
• 2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns (or sub 3 teaspoons regular peppercorns)

Instructions: Place all ingredients in a spice grinder (or coffee grinder) and grind until smooth.

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