Quote from: chillihothot on November 30, 2013, 04:42 PM
Ok, happy to say that I cracked it last night, it was 90-95% as good as I've ever had.
There is an enormous difference using fresh coconuts instead of tinned. I'll never use tinned again.

Great feedback. Many thanks. I must try fresh coconuts.

Do other agree that fresh coconuts are much better?

Thai Balcony Mini Mart, 40 Monmouth Street, Bath. There is also another very small (strangely named) shop selling authentic Chinese ingredients: Friends Forever, St James Parade, Bath.     

Quote from: Moodymare on December 01, 2013, 06:07 PM
There is also another very small (strangely named) shop selling authentic Chinese ingredients: Friends Forever, St James Parade, Bath.   

Not that strange.  Friendship is a recurring theme in Chinese restaurant/shop naming, and in London's Limehouse alone we have Old Friends, Good Friends and Young Friends (no New Friends, interestingly); and in Birmingham, Happy Gathering was a favourite haunt of mine.  Although generalisation is unsafe, you will often find "Friends" in the name of the more authentic restaurants, where Chinese people like to gather, as opposed to the more trendy "Wok Whyte Inn"-type names that are intended to attract Westerners.

** Phil.

Makes sense - thanks for explaining!

Quote from: Moodymare on December 01, 2013, 06:07 PM
Thai Balcony Mini Mart, 40 Monmouth Street, Bath. There is also another very small (strangely named) shop selling authentic Chinese ingredients: Friends Forever, St James Parade, Bath.   

Cheers  Moodymare
Will check them both out. There is also one here

Banthon Oriental Supermarket
9-10, Weston High Street (Weston Village)


Les

I've been ordering my stuff online at http://www.thai-food-online.co.uk/

I've tried a few places and service can be mixed however no complaints about quality. What's annoying is I can't always get everything I need at one place so I have to use two.

I've made a big order and am going to have a big Thai blow out later this week so hopefully I'll be able to take some photos and do some analysis and review to post.

Regarding fresh vs tinned coconut milk. If you must use tinned, then I suspect some brands will be better than others, although I cannot confirm I assume the "organic" ones with less stabiliser and shelf life are possibly better.

Quote from: Whandsy on November 26, 2013, 10:01 PM
Hi chillihothot

I remember watching a thai / american videoon how to make green curry and the cook mentioned you need to boil the coconut milk 1st to get the oil separation thats desired.

I found the website link and video here

http://hot-thai-kitchen.com/green-curry-1/

Hope this helps

W

I can confirm this video is pretty much spot on. Although it doesn't show the all bits where she makes the coconut milk and oil there's other videos on youtube.

Thanks!

You have to use a brand which may be 'cracked'.  Chao Koh is one which you can get on-line and maybe elsewhere.  I'm not sure if the oil floating on top of a green curry adds to the taste but that's the was it's meant to look.  This Thai chef said to me that 90% of cooking is about the way the food looks.  If your coconut milk doesn't crack then it's circumvented by the addition of a little oil to the pan before frying the paste.  I think that delightful lady in Hot Thai kitchen suggests something similar. 

I don't think restaurants in the UK would make their own paste.  I spent a few days working in this thai restaurant and they used the brand Nittaya which cam in plastic pouches of varying sizes if I remember correctly.  It was more expensive than the others said the chef but better and was less salty so you needed to add more fish sauce.  But you have to balance it with sugar too.  The didn't have Thai pea or what they call apple aubergines but the western style which was chopped up.  In my notes, I've written that the blanch the beg for half a minute before adding to the curry.  I've also written that they did the same with the meat which is cut quite thinly so won't take long to cook through.  They also added a little evaporated milk right at the end before adding some Thai sweet basil.

I've spoken to this chef on the web who cooks in Canada and she says that outside of Thailand you have to improvise and she also adds broccoli.