SHRIMP, PEANUT & GREEN BEAN CURRY

introducing, my housemate Pier

One of the most commonly asked questions I get is, “but what do your housemates cook?” and it’s a fair question. The idea that you could live in a shared house as a group of seven people and all be very good cooks, churning out delicious food every night, is an ambitious one. People tend to be very keen to know if there’s one person who is an awful cook, that we all dread, anyone who turns to beans on toast every night etc, the questions go on. I can understand the intrigue, it’s a unique situation.

What I would say is that we all have varying levels of confidence and knowledge. Some of my housemates have a repertoire of three dishes that they know inside out, they’re delicious and perfectly cooked every time and they rotate between them. I actually find a lot of comfort in this, knowing that if it’s Wojciech’s night then there’s a good chance he’ll be making his pantry pasta or that if Virginia is cooking then there will almost always be a cous cous element and a bean of some kind. Then we have a few more adventurous cooks and the most adventurous of all, is Pier.

Pier in our spiritual home - Sessions Art Club

Pier is one of the best cooks I know, he’s worked in professional kitchens but is also completely self-taught and constantly evolving his repertoire. Pier has introduced me to so many new ingredients, flavour combinations and techniques. He’s responsible for my lifelong love affair with Lau Gan Ma chilli oil, he introduced me to the world of Korean hot pot, the correct way to make fried rice and the joys of frozen dim sum. He’s also one of the most chic, well dressed dinner companions you could ever hope to eat with, unendingly loyal and hilarious. I would be lost without him.

This recipe is a classic Pier dinner, a traditional Filipino peanut curry called Kare Kare. In the Philippines you wouldn’t actually refer to it as a curry, just Kare Kare, but I think of it as a curry and it satisfies that need for something comforting and saucy. It makes use of Annatto seed, one of many ingredients Pier has introduced me to. You can find Annatto at any good Asian or South American supermarket or online super easily, it has a mild peppery flavour but is also used here for its distinctive deep red colour. In his family recipe they use Lily’s Peanut Butter which you can easily find in the Philippines, but we can’t get here, so we used (my favourite) Mani Life.

I hope you enjoy this cosy curry as much as we do, it’s so easy, healthy and quick to whip together. The perfect midweek pick me up.

Sending love, Rosie x

SHRIMP, GREEN BEAN & PEANUT CURRY

This meal is super easy, quick to whip up and a healthy cosy option for the colder months. As I say, it’s traditionally made with beef and you would use a beef stock, but we have opted for shrimp, you can choose whichever form of protein suits you better. Tofu would be great, chicken would be a vibe, go with what you have and what you enjoy. And my biggest recommendation of all, if you enjoy rice and you cook it regularly, is invest in a rice cooker. It is one of the only kitchen gadgets that I will endorse, giving you perfectly cooked rice every time, with little to no effort. Message me if you wanna chat rice cookers, I’m here for it.

35g annatto seed

2 tbsp neutral oil

2 medium onions, finely diced

5 cloves of garlic, minced

50g white rice (for toasting)

150g peanut butter

450ml vegetable stock

500g raw shrimp

250g green beans, blanched

To serve: jasmine rice, a handful of salted peanuts roughly chopped, a poppadom and some chutneys wouldn’t go amiss here too!

1. In a small saucepan, over a medium heat, combine the annatto seeds and neutral oil. Heat for around 3 minutes, or until the oil has taken on a deep red hue.

2. In a small dry frying pan, toast the white rice over a high heat, stirring all the time until all the grains are an even golden brown colour.

3. Grind the toasted rice into a fine powder, either in a mortar and pestle or a high speed blender.

4. Strain the annatto oil into a large frying pan, discard the seeds and set the pan over a medium high heat.

5. Add the onion and garlic, stirring and cooking for 5 minutes, or until soft and translucent.

6. Add the peanut butter and stir to combine.

7. Add the stock a little by little, stirring all the time.

8. Add the toasted rice powder and bring the sauce to a simmer for 15 minutes, until thickened, stirring occasionally.

9. Add the shrimp and green beans, cook for another 5 minutes or until the shrimp are fully cooked through.

10. Season with a pinch of salt and a grind of black pepper, taste and adjust as necessary.

11. Serve over steamed jasmine rice with a sprinkle of chopped salted peanuts.