Medicinal chef and nutritional expert Dale Pinnock gives us his simple - and delicious - recipe for Thai-style duck curry

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Nutrition is an ever expanding and evolving science. However, there are certainly some very strong patterns of evidence emerging about the role food plays in many of the modern-day diseases that are becoming epidemic in our society. With this in mind, I believe that there are three factors we should be aware of when thinking about the type of “diet” to follow. When we employ these, we won’t suddenly have all the answers, but we will be hedging our bets and coming as close to the ideal diet as we can possibly get. I truly believe that by addressing these three areas, we will be reducing our risk of the dietary-induced diseases that are plaguing us, and I will explain to you how and why. So what am I talking about? The Power of Three: blood sugar balance, fatty acid balance, and nutrient density. I’m a real sucker for Thai flavours, and I do love game meats too, so this dish is a sure-fire hit in my house. It can be served with brown rice, quinoa or, as I often have it, with some cooked greens.

Ingredients

  • ½ red onion, roughly chopped
  • ½ red chilli (more if you want), chopped
  • 1 large clove garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
  • 1 lemongrass stalk, bashed then chopped
  • 1 handful fresh coriander leaves, torn, plus extra to serve
  • 3 fresh basil leaves
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • juice of ¼ lime
  • coconut or olive oil, for cooking
  • 200ml coconut milk
  • 100ml vegetable stock
  • 1 duck breast (skin on), cut into bite-sized pieces

Method

1 Place the red onion, chilli, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, coriander and basil leaves, ground coriander, fish sauce and lime juice in a food processor and blitz to a smooth paste.

2 Heat a little coconut or olive oil in a saucepan, add the paste and fry until it turns a notably darker colour and becomes less pungent.

3 Add the coconut milk and stock, stir well and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the chopped duck breast and simmer for another 10-12 minutes. Serve with extra coriander leaves.

• The Medicinal Chef: The Power of Three by Dale Pinnock, £20, Quadrille, follow Dale on Twitter @Dale_Pinnock

 

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