Thai-Style Halibut and Banana Curry with Peanuts

This dish is ready in less than 15 minutes, thanks to jarred Thai red curry paste. Be sure to use underripe or barely ripe bananas, which are less sweet and hold together well in the sauce. Serve with jasmine rice.

Serves 2

1 cup well-shaken canned coconut milk (not light)

1 Tbs. Thai red curry paste

12 oz. skinless halibut fillet, about 1½ inches thick, cut into 2 pieces

Kosher salt

1 medium lime, zest finely grated, then halved

3 medium scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts kept separate)

1 very large underripe or barely ripe banana (or 2 small), halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into ½-inch half-moons

2 Tbs. chopped salted roasted peanuts

½ cup lightly packed chopped fresh cilantro

In a 10-inch straight-sided sauté pan, whisk the coconut milk and curry paste until smooth.

Sprinkle the fish with ½ tsp. salt; then sprinkle with the lime zest. Squeeze a lime half over the fish.

Bring the coconut-curry mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat and then arrange the fillets in the pan, skinned side down. Add the white parts of the scallions, cover the pan, and simmer, adjusting the heat as necessary, for 2 minutes. Add the bananas and half of the peanuts to the sauce. Sprinkle half of the cilantro over the top. Cover the pan and continue to simmer until the fish flakes easily but is slightly translucent rather than fully opaque at the very center (check with a paring knife), 2 to 4 minutes. Squeeze the remaining lime half over the fish. Top with the scallion greens and the remaining peanuts and cilantro, and serve.

 

It is a quote. Fine Cooking Magazine February / March 2011