Seafood with Thai Green Curry

To prepare your mise en place, first émincé the garlic and shallots. Finely mince the ginger and lemongrass. Remove the tough stem from the mushrooms and quarter. To prep the seafood, make sure the prawns are clean and deveined, leaving the shell on. Remove the beard from the mussels and the side muscle from the scallops. Place all of the seafood back into the refrigerator, while you make the velouté sauce.

To start the velouté, first melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour to make a roux and stir until fully incorporated. Cook the roux until it just starts to develop a blond color. Add the stock, a bit at a time, letting it come to the simmering point before adding more. Continue to add the stock until you reach a silky consistency. Once done, season with salt and white pepper to taste. The sauce may thicken a bit as it cools, so you might need to whisk in a touch more hot stock to loosen it up just before you are ready to use it. Set the sauce aside, while you move onto the next step.

To cook the dish, first remove the seafood from the refrigerator. Gather the white wine, green curry paste, fish sauce, lime and Thai basil and set everything aside. Pat the scallops dry with paper towels so they caramelize and sear nicely. Season both sides with a bit of salt and white pepper. Next, preheat a large stainless-steel pan over medium-high heat. Add the scallops as soon as the oil just starts to smoke. Cook them for about 30 seconds or so per side. Don’t fiddle with them. Just let them caramelize nicely on the bottom before flipping over. The scallops are done once they are just white around the edges and are still opaque in the center. Transfer to a plate and set aside for later. Turn the heat to medium and add a touch more oil. Add the mirepoix, which consists of the garlic, ginger, lemongrass, shallots and mushrooms. Sauté all of this for few seconds, before adding the curry paste. Cook the paste for a few seconds more and then add the prawns. Let the prawns cook for about 30 seconds until they are pink on the underside. Flip over and continue to cook until pink on the other side. Next, deglaze with the white wine. Add the mussels and quickly cover. Cook until the mussels open, which should only take about 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover and turn the heat down to low. Add the velouté sauce and gently swirl the pan to combine. Don't stir too much to prevent the mussels from breaking up. Return the scallops and their juices to the pan. Add the chopped Thai basil and a squeeze of lime juice. Fold everything together and taste for seasoning. Season with fish sauce (in many countries fish sauce is used instead of salt). Serve this sensational dish with coconut-infused jasmine rice and enjoy.