Red Thai curry paste + butter = your new favorite condiment
I’m not crazy about most cooking hacks, but recently I’ve discovered one I’m obsessed with:
Red Thai curry paste + butter = amazing grilled cabbage
Richly aromatic with just a hint of spice, this curried compound butter is one of the most delicious things you’ll ever slather over grilled veggies. It’s two simple ingredients; it takes less than a minute to whip up; AND you can use it on anything you like, from toast to boiled potatoes to grilled corn. Here I’m melting it over freshly-grilled cabbage wedges and complimenting it with a shower of thai basil and cilantro, sliced fresh chilis and roasted peanuts. These toppings bring a lot to the party—pops of heat, nuggets of crunch, bursts of freshness to contrast with the spice and funk of the butter—but to be completely honest, you could get rid of everything except the Thai curry butter and the grilled cabbage would still knock your socks off. It’s that stupid good.
Some of you are thinking “how do you just use straight curry paste from the jar? Don’t you have to cook it out or something?” and I get the concern. But unlike tomato paste, which tastes metallic out of the can and always needs to be cooked out (and cooked out hard!), jarred Thai curry paste is actually delicious straight out of the jar. If you’re concerned, grab a spoon and taste it for yourself. That’s what I did!
With powerhouse pantry staples, you don’t need a lot to make something really tasty. Ingredients such as miso, soy sauce, harissa, and tomato paste are the key to creating delicious flavors with minimal time and ingredients. If your pantry doesn’t include all or even some of these powerhouse staples, grab one of your choice the next time you’re at the store. You’ll be amazed at how quickly and easily they’ll fast-track you to a flavorful dinner.
Enjoy!
Grilled Cabbage with Thai Curry Butter
(Makes 8)
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons red Thai curry paste
2 tablespoons finely sliced scallions
1 ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided
1 head green cabbage, cut into 8 wedges
1 fresh red chili, thinly sliced
¼ cup roasted salted peanuts
Fresh cilantro and Thai or regular basil
Special equipment: grill or grill pan
Method
In a medium bowl, stir together room temperature butter, curry paste, scallions, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Set aside.
Heat a grill for medium high heat (alternately, heat a grill pan over medium high heat on the stove). Clean and oil the grill grates.
Season cabbage with remaining teaspoon kosher salt, then grill until charred on all three sides, about 4 minutes per side. Cabbage should be tender on the outside and slightly crisp on the inside.
Transfer cabbage to a serving platter and slather with curry butter. Top with cilantro, basil, sliced red chili, and peanuts, and serve.
Originally posted July 7, 2022