Thai red curry 1

SERVES 4 PREP AND COOK TIME 4 HOURS 30 MINUTES

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 duck or chicken marylands (1.2kg)

⅓ cup (100g) Thai red curry paste

3 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

3 kaffir lime leaves, torn

400ml can coconut cream

½ cup (125ml) chicken stock

1.25kg finger eggplants, cut into 2cm slices 1 medium (170g) red onion, sliced thinly 1 teaspoon caster sugar

2 teaspoons finely grated lime rind 2 tablespoons lime juice

250g cherry tomatoes, halved

½ small (450g) pineapple, cut into 2cm pieces 1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon coconut sugar

1 cup Thai basil leaves

½ cup (40g) fried shallots

Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Cook marylands, skin-side down, for 3 minutes each side; remove from pan. Add curry paste, spices and lime leaves to pan; stir for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add coconut cream and stock; bring to a simmer.

2 Transfer marylands and curry sauce to a 4.5-litre (18-cup) slow cooker. Cook, covered, on low, for 3 hours (or high for 1½ hours). Add eggplant; cook, covered, on low, for 1 hour (or high for 30 minutes).

3 Meanwhile, for pickled onion, combine onion, caster sugar, half the lime rind, 1 tablespoon lime juice and a pinch of salt in a bowl; stand for 10 minutes to pickle.

4 Remove whole spices and lime leaves from curry. Stir through tomatoes, pineapple, fish sauce, coconut sugar, remaining lime rind and juice.

5 Serve curry with pickled onion,

Thai basil leaves and fried shallots.

Suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave.