Provincial fusion: Thai-style red curry paste, green bean and pork belly stir-fry

Darling readers, you may have noticed a distinct lack of my postings recently.  Fear not, good sirs and ladies, for I haven't forsaken the good ship Illustrated London Noms for a quiet life of contemplation and prayer at a monastery (not least because my most well-known and practiced talents would be frowned upon by most monastic orders).  However, due to circumstances beyond my control I have had to undertake a series of rustifications to avoid the excesses of scandal waiting for me back in the city.

Hence I am currently seated in Carrot Manor, my ancestral pile, with nothing but some vintage wine of the fizzy variety, several dogs (who mostly seem to pine mysteriously for Aunty Peas since her last visit), some cats (who mostly ignore my presence), and a few chickens.  As you may have noticed from previous posts, while I come from a country background, I am in my ways firmly a city gentleman used to the benefits of varied shops, fine restaurants, and an over-abundance of pretty there for the taking, so being in this situation is deeply unsettling (not least as my darling Sister who is currently watching over Carrot Manor does not have quite the selection of esoteric ingredients I would have in my own kitchen).

However, needs must when the devil drives (an apt turn of phrase since I am also currently insured on the family car), and frankly in the newly arrived summer heat I was craving something spicy, porky, and fresh.  Now I often make a Thai red curry stir fry at home, consisting of red curry paste, pork belly, and crunchy green beans.  But could such a thing be accomplished in the provinces?  Only a short trip to the local supermarket would tell...

Ingredients

• 400g of pork belly
• 400g of green beans
• Thai curry paste (judge on your taste - I used an entire jar because otherwise it was disappointing
• Thai basil (I substituted Greek basil as the stores had neither Thai basil or normal basil), a good handful ripped by hand
• Red chillis (birdseye for preference, large red ones if your store is restrictive)
• 3-5 cloves garlic
• Ginger, about an inch, sliced
• Coriander and lemon juice to garnish
• Fizzy wine to offset the horror of being an outcast from polite society

Serves 3-4 with rice.

Now as a warning, this is a fusion of a number of dishes, and with time I am sure I will document the others (I am not one to tolerate fusion lightly).  But frankly, it was tasty and a good option while only having a few ingredients.

Firstly, bring some water to the boil and add your pork belly.  Simmer for about 10-15 minutes, immediately chill under cold water (this step could also be done in advance) then slice thinly and pat until very dry (some force may be required - squeezing in a tea towel works well).

Next heat some oil in a wok (if the wok starts to smoke distressingly it is not suitable for the new-fangled induction hob and should be removed and replaced with one less acrid and burnsome).

Add the Thai curry paste and garlic then fry until aromatic (about 1-2 minutes max, otherwise the garlic will go bitter).  Next add the pork slices and stir fry until they go crispy and delicious (about 4 minutes).

Note: If you are using provincial curry paste you will discover this is watery, tastes more like tobanjiang, and will in summary prohibit crispiness.  In this case, don't add the curry paste and garlic till after you have crisped up the pork sufficiently to avoid crushing your hopes and dreams.  

Finally, add the green beans, basil, chilli and a few tablespoons of water and cook for around 4 minutes or until the beans are still crunchy (you do not want them soft, like so many things in life).

To serve, garnish with plenty of coriander and some fluffy white rice while contemplating your sins against society and how you'll get more wines when the nearest store is only realistically reachable by car.