Barramundi Thai Red Curry Soba

INGREDIENTS

• 200g Humpty Doo Barramundi Fillet
• 2 large asparagus, sliced diagonally
• 50g enoki mushroom, cut off base
• 50g brown shimeji mushroom, cut off base
• 3 sweet baby corn, halved
• 4 lemongrass, chop away green part, use only the white base and pound them slightly using a pestle till the out layer splits open.
• 4 fresh kaffir lime leaves, crushed, remove stem, cut thinly
• 200ml UHT natural coconut cream
• 160g Soba
• A handful of chopped Thai coriander, for garnish

Seasoning

• 15g palm sugar, jaggery
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 heaping tsp red miso, to taste
• Pink sea salt
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Red Curry Paste (optional)

• 2 large dried chilli
• 2 bird’s eye red chilli
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 thumbs fresh turmeric root
• 1 medium shallot
• 1 thumb galangal

PREPARATION

• Remove skin from Barramundi Fillet, and slice in large chunks (about 7 pieces). Season it with a pinch of salt and toasted sesame oil to eliminate the even the slightest fish smell.
• For all the curry ingredients, remove skin and cut them into small chunks except for the chillies. Use scissors to cut the chillies in small pieces. Avoid contact with the chilli seeds. Pound all the ingredients using the mortar and pestle till it forms a moist, bright orange paste.
• Boil 3 cups water in a small pot to blanch mushrooms, corn and asparagus for 1 minute. Drain water, and set the ingredients aside.
• Using the same pot, boil 1.5 litres water, cook soba for 3-4 minutes, it should be slightly undercooked. Drain and cool soba in a bowl of cold water.
• Pour oil into a pre-heated stock pot over medium heat, add 1 tbsp of curry paste and cook for 3 minutes till fragrant. Add another ½ tbsp of curry paste for extra spiciness.
• Pour coconut cream and stir in with the paste continuously for 4 minutes. Add palm sugar, lemongrass and ½ portion of kaffir lime leaves, continue to stir for 3 minutes.
• Turn the heat up, add 1 litre hot water and red miso paste into the mixture. Stir for 1 minute. When it is rolling boil, add barramundi chunks and cook for 3-5 minutes, till they turned opaque white. Taste, and add extra red miso till your desired taste.
• Assemble soba, mushrooms, corn and asparagus in two deep plates. Ladle hot red curry and barramundi over. Garnish with remaining lime leaves and chopped coriander.