Cooking in Parchment Again!
Tender shrimp, aromatic lemongrass, rich coconut milk and Thai curry come together inside a parchment packet to create amazing flavor with little effort. Cutting open the parchment packets releases the wonderful fragrance of the aromatics and coconut – heavenly!
Cooking in parchment is a fabulous way to create tender, flavorful, healthy meals, plus minimal clean up and easily multiplied by the number of people you are serving. I especially love to create the packets before my guests arrive, and just put them in the oven 10-15 minutes before I am ready to serve dinner. Super easy for entertaining!
A classically French cooking technique, I decided to BE BRAVE and use this method to make some Thai inspired food. You too can experiment with any global flavors, just remember that given the quick cooking time in the oven, you will need to use fast cooking proteins like seafood and small pieces of chicken or keep it plant based with quick cooking veggies.
Parchment pouches are the best!
Thai Coconut Shrimp Curry Pouches
Ingredients
(* indicates my preferred ingredients – see notes for alternatives)
4 oz rice vermicelli
4 cups baby spinach, roughly torn
1 red bell pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
12-16 pieces of baby corn (cornlets)
¾ cup canned coconut milk
4-6 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
4-6 cloves of garlic, grated or minced
1 teaspoon ginger paste
Zest of one lime (finely grated)
2 teaspoon lime juice (plus wedges for garnish)
¾ teaspoon light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (more to taste)
1 teaspoon fish sauce
Salt to taste
1 lb large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
Drizzle of O&V Lime Oil *
1-2 stalks lemongrass quartered lengthwise & smashed lightly (see Chef Tip)
Cilantro or Parsley sprigs to garnish
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 450 F. Place the oven racks on the upper and lower thirds of the oven
Fold four 15-inch square pieces of parchment in half. Starting at fold of each piece, draw a half a large heart shape. Cut along the lines and open.
Place the noodles in a large bowl and cover completely with warm-hot water. Let sit for 5 minutes to soften, then drain well, dry the bowl and return the noodles to the bowl.
Whisk the coconut milk, curry paste, garlic, ginger, lime zest, lime juice brown sugar, fish sauce, crushed red pepper and salt in a small bowl. Pour ¼ cup of the marinade over the noodles, and toss well.
Add the shrimp to the remaining marinade.
Evenly distribute the spinach on each of the open pieces of parchment on one side of the fold. Top with the noodles, julienned red bell pepper and a few pieces of baby corn. Drizzle each packet with 2 tablespoons of water.
Top the vegetables and noodles with shrimp (evenly distributing amongst the parchment packets) and then drizzle any remaining marinade over each. Top with a piece or two of smashed lemongrass.
Fold over the top half of the parchment paper, and starting at the top of the heart, make small tight, overlapping folds along the outside edge to crimp and seal the packet. Ensure that packet is sealed by stapling the ends if needed.
Place packets on two baking sheets and roast in oven for 8-10 minutes
Remove from the oven and transfer to plates. Carefully cut the packets open (the steam from the packets will be hot) and discard the lemongrass. Drizzle with Lime oil and serve with lime wedges, cilantro/parsley sprigs and extra crushed red peppers on the side.
Serves 4
Active Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes
Chef Note
Slightly smashing the lemongrass stalks with a mallet releases the flavors and aromas more easily. Lemongrass stalks can be purchased at many Asian grocery stores, but if you have trouble finding them, you can substitute with a half teaspoon of lemongrass paste from a grocery store.
Notes
* The Lime Oil adds a fabulous creaminess and tang to this dish. You can certainly use a plain Unflavored EVOO but plan to increase the amount of lime juice in the recipe. All highlighted products are available at Oil & Vinegar stores.
Categories: Entrée, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Easy Weeknight Meal, Quick Dinner, Thai Flavors, Asian Dinner, Cooking in Parchment, En Papillote, Parchment Pouch, Shrimp, Seafood, Thai Red Curry, French Cooking Thai Style, Coconut Curry,
