Slow Cooked Gaeng Phed Ped (Thai Duck Curry)

For years Thai green curry was my go-to favourite of all the South East Asian varieties. That was of course until recently I decided to mix things up a bit and use red curry instead, and boy was I pleased I did. Red curries are so much more heartwarming and aromatic and when paired with tasty meats such as duck or beef they all utterly delectable. 

For this red curry I use our trusty Morphy Richard's slow cooker which makes what is essentially a very easy dish to make, completely foolproof. 

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 duck breasts

2 teaspoons of Chinese 5 spice 

1 400 ml tin of coconut milk (give it a good shake before opening)

1 tablespoon of red curry paste (I use Mae Ploy, reviewed here)

1 tablespoon of muscovado sugar

2 teaspoons of fish sauce

Juice of 1 lime

2 teaspoons of tamarind paste (the stuff I use is a soup base and looks like this)

4/5 dried kaffir lime leaves 

2 rings of tinned pineapple chopped into inch-width pieces

2 tomatoes quartered

Method:

1. Set a frying pan on aa ring and turn the heat to a medium-high temperature.

2. Completely cover the fat/rind side of the duck with 5-spice powder and dry fry the duck by placing it fat-side-down, onto the pan and leave to cook until it is gone dark brown and crispy. 

3. Turn on your slow cooker and turn the heat to high. Pour in the coconut milk and then mix in the red curry paste. 

4. Add the fish sauce, tamarind, sugar, lime juice and kaffir lime leaves to the curry mix and give it a quick stir. 

5. Add the duck, fat side up.

6. Turn down the heat to low and leave to cook for 5 hours.

7. After 5 hours, skim off any excess fat that has risen to the top and add the pineapple and tomato to the sauce.

8. Leave to cook for another 30 minutes or so, season with fish sauce and/or sugar to taste and serve with Thai jasmine rice.