The Sound and the Curry: Thai Red Chicken Curry with Pineapple

“Out, out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” – Macbeth

Shakespeare’s bleak vision of life getting you down? Struggling through Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury? Maybe you need a nice, warm, spicy Thai curry!  Obviously, I can’t certify its authenticity (the paste is store-bought after all), but I can certify its deliciousness. There’s  so much flavour in this: from the sweetness of the pineapple and the saltiness of the peanuts to the rich spice of the curry paste and the hint of lime citrus. Yum. And if you’re vegetarian, I’m sure you could happily substitute tofu or…cauliflower?…for the chicken.

• 1/2 lb boneless chicken, uncooked, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 4 ounces red curry paste (I used “thai kitchen” brand)
• 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 4 tablespoon fish sauce
• 2 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 cup chopped cashews or peanuts
• 1 cup coarsely chopped tomatoes
• 2 medium sliced white mushrooms
• 1 orange or yellow bell pepper, cut in 1 inch wide wedges
• 1 cup fresh (or frozen) pineapple chunks
• 1/4 cup green onions
• 1 lime
• chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
• olive or peanut oil (the latter being ideal)

1. Heat a large pan over med-high heat. Add oil, chicken and paste. Stir fry for a few minutes.
2. Add coconut milk, fish sauce, chicken broth, sugar and 1/2 the nuts. Make sure to scrape the paste off the bottom and mix it in so it doesn’t burn. Allow to boil gently for about 5 minutes.
3. Add bell peppers, tomatoes and mushrooms. Squeeze a couple wedges worth of lime juice over the mixture and simmer another 5 minutes.
4. Check that chicken is cooked. Stir in pineapple pieces and squeeze in a little more lime.
5. Serve with rice and garnish with green onions, cilantro and chopped cashews/peanuts.