The Garlic Farm have been growing garlic on the Isle of Wight for over 50 years and currently are the UK’s largest specialist garlic grower. The Garlic Farm on the Isle of Wight not only sell wonderful garlic, but they also have a broad range of snacks, sauces, chutneys, and cooking ingredients.
Here we have a jar of Thai Red Curry Paste which I will review, and then follow up with my own basic recipe for Thai Red Chicken Curry.
Tasted by itself before cooking, The Garlic Farm Thai Red Curry Paste certainly packs a fresh, vibrant punch which hints you could be in for a real treat once cooked. You can immediately taste the fresh red chilli and Lemongrass, loads of body from garlic and spices, and then you are left with a salty and tangy coconut finish.
Once the paste was cooked, and my Thai Red Chicken curry was made, the smells in the kitchen were utterly divine. The pungent lemongrass fills the air, but the coconut and lime also shine through.
The heat of The Garlic Farm Thai Red Curry Paste is medium, I didn’t find it particularly hot but I could really taste the fresh red chilli in the paste. Personally I don’t ever think cooking pastes should be too hot since you have more control of the heat if so, and you can comfortably cook for others without worrying about blowing their heads off. Plus, you can always add more chilli to either the dish before or after cooking.
The final curry sauce was a thing of beauty – you could taste every ingredient that went into the paste individually and everything flavour was well balanced. High notes of citrus and lemon grass, middle notes of garlic, ginger and coconut, and low notes of deep red chilli and red peppers. It’s an amazing paste that my other half described as ‘lush’ and thought the heat was just right, and demanded I make this curry again in a few weeks.
The Garlic Farm Thai Red Curry Paste is so far the best Thai curry paste I’ve ever cooked with, and I can fully recommend this if you want to make a incredibly tasty Thai curry!
Rating: 3.5/5
Recipe for Thai Red Chicken Curry using The Garlic Farm Thai Red Curry Paste
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons of The Garlic Farm Thai Red Curry Paste
- 2 chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch slices or cubes
- A tin of coconut milk or coconut cream
- A splash of Fish sauce
- 1 onion, chopped finely
- 2 chopped peppers or any other vegetables you fancy
- Fresh coriander, stalks included.
- Tablespoon of oil
Method:
- Fry the onion in the oil until slightly browned. Add the peppers and fry until softened.
- Chop the stalks of the fresh coriander, and add to the pot. Fry for 1 minute.
- Add a splash of fish sauce and stir until the fishy smell has gone (30 seconds or so).
- Add your chicken pieces and fry until they’ve all got some colour. Add you paste and continue to stir.
- Add you coconut milk or cream – I used just over half a tin but this is up to how much sauce you want, and how much chicken and vegetables you have in your pan.
- Simmer without a lid for 5-10 minutes until the sauce has thickened a little and the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
- Serve with fresh coriander, lime edges, and plain rice. I made a quick cucumber, spring-onion, lime, & coriander salad to go with (pictured).