Thai green lamb curry with Vedett IPA

Thai cuisine is zesty and piquant but delicate and mild at the same time, proof of the art of the judicious use of spices.

In this curry, the mild-tasting, tender lamb takes on a hint of spiciness but the flavour of the meat still comes through.

The Vedett IPA, with its exotic hop aromas, manages to cut through all the spice.

Fruity, mildly bitter, fresh and malty with a hint of sweet caramel… a merry-go-round of flavours.

Ingredients

For the lamb shanks:

4 lamb shanks, left to steep overnight in salted water
2 carrots, 2 onions, 2 sticks of celery
3 cloves of garlic
3 sprigs of thyme, 3 bay leaves
30g fresh ginger
2 sticks of lemon grass

For the green curry:

1 teaspoon coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 50g galangal (laos) root
2 green peppers, deseeded and finely chopped
20g ginger, 2 sticks of lemon grass, finely chopped
2 green peppers, grilled and peeled
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 bottles of Vedett IPA
1 finely chopped onion, 1 handful of fresh coriander
1 handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, the zest of a lemon

Preparation

Place all the ingredients for the lamb shanks in a large casserole with plenty of water, season well with salt and pepper, and bring to the boil. Then turn the heat down and simmer at a low temperature until the lamb shanks are cooked.

The meat should almost fall off the bone. Keep warm after cooking.

For the green curry: take a large casserole, add the olive oil, heat to a high temperature, add the other ingredients and stir well until cooked.

Add the Vedett IPA, bring to the boil and reduce to one-third of its original volume. Remove from the heat and blend into a paste.

Make sure you have a variety of fresh vegetables at the ready, steamed or boiled until perfectly al dente if you prefer.

Pass the cooking liquid through a fine mesh sieve and boil for a short time at a high temperature. Take off a litre of the liquid and bring it to the boil in another pan, adding the green curry paste to taste”.

Add the lamb shanks, simmering for a short while before adding the vegetables a few minutes before serving. Serve in a bowl, garnished with fresh coriander and poppadoms.

Beer

IPA (India Pale Ale) is an English beer style that has become popular all over Europe and the USA. When making this strongly hopped beer, the brewer usually focuses on bitterness and aroma.

In some IPAs, only the bitterness comes through. Vedett IPA (brewed by Duvel Moortgat) is replete with fruity, citrusy flavours as well as green, fresh aromas, complemented with a grapefruit bitterness.

This thirst-quencher is perfectly capable of standing up to the spicy assault from this curry. It is East meets West, the best of both worlds.

Tips & Tricks

Serve the Vedett IPA well chilled for a more refreshing effect
Leave this dish to simmer for quite a while so the aromas and tastes blend perfectly
Watch how this beer tones down the intensity of this zesty dish