When you can't face anything else, there's always Thai fish curry

Apologies for the lack of recipes lately. I have no excuse except to say I'm a lousy food photographer. This fact is slightly ironic since my day job at the moment requires me to make antiques look sexy on screen. So it definitely doesn't feel right posting recipes that look like they're coming out of a canteen. In the meantime, all I can do is hope for one snap that sticks. That, and putting a tripod at the top of my Christmas list.

What can I say about Thai curry? This is by no means authentic, but it works. True curries would replace the ginger with galangal and zest with kaffir lime leaves. You can do that if you like, but what's below is quick, easy, and uses a lot of ingredients that you may already have in your pantry.

This is also a recipe that succeeds by tasting and judging the dish the entire way through. I add more fish sauce if I need to up the seasoning. More lime juice if I want to tone down the heat and brighten the flavour. More fish stock if the whole thing is going bone dry. I make my own fish stock which I freeze to have on hand, but most specialty supermarkets will have some ready made. You can also easily swap the protein and veg in this recipe. I regularly substitute poultry for fish. The secret is pounding a chicken breast fillet very thin, then slice it into 2 inch strips. I cook it the same way as I would the fish (poaching gently at the end), and I end up with something tender and tasty every time.

Thai Fish Curry

20 bird's eye chillies, deseeded and rough chopped

4 large garlic cloves, smashed

4 inch piece of ginger, sliced

2 lemongrass stalks, rough chopped

1/2 tsp of shrimp paste

2 Tbsp corn or vegetable oil

2 cod fillets

1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)

2 tsp brown sugar

1 banana shallot, thinly sliced

2 cups of green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 can of coconut cream

2 cups of fish stock

fish sauce

2 limes with juice

Fresh coriander (cilantro), leaves only

Add the chillies, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass to a food processor. Zest one lime and add. Pulse the mix to form a coarse paste. Add 1 Tbsp of oil and the shrimp paste. Continue to blend until smooth.**

Slice the fish and coat with 1 tsp of brown sugar and the cornflour. Set aside.

Heat the fish stock in a small saucepan, and hold until ready to use.

Juice both limes.

Heat the oil on medium heat in a cast iron pot. Saute the shallots until they are tender, then add the green beans. Fry for 2-3 minutes, then add a few glugs of fish sauce. Saute for another 3 minutes, then add a ladle of fish stock. It should be hot enough that the liquid deglazes the pan.

Add a large, heaping spoonful of the curry paste, stirring to coat all the veg. Continue to cook, and add the lime juice, brown sugar, and a few more glugs of fish sauce. Add another ladle of fish stock if the mix seems dry.

Turn down the heat, and add the coconut cream. Heat gently, then nestle the fish on top, enough so that it's covered by liquid. Cover and cook for 4 minutes. Stir in the fresh coriander and serve with rice.

**This makes more paste than you'll use. You can keep it in the fridge for up to a week.