Ingredients

• 5 dried
• hot red chillies
• soaked in 75ml/3fl oz warm water
• 2 large shallots
• chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• chopped
• 2 cm/1 in piece fresh root ginger
• chopped
• 1 stem lemongrass
• finely chopped
• 4 pieces coriander root
• roughly chopped
• 2 kaffir lime leaves
• roughly chopped
• ¼ tsp shrimp paste
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• 200ml/7fl oz coconut milk
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• 1 lime
• juice only
• 1 tsp palm sugar
• 4 cooked lobster
• split in half lengthways
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves
• roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large banana shallot
• finely sliced
• 1 red chilli
• sliced
• 2 garlic cloves
• finely chopped
• 1 tbsp grated fresh root ginger
• 150g/5oz cooked peeled prawns
• 400g/14oz cooked rice noodles
• 125g/4½oz beansprouts
• 2 tbsp tamarind paste
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 lime
• juice only
• 3 tbsp roughly chopped fresh coriander
• 2 tbsp roasted salted peanuts
• crushed

Directions

• For the Thai red curry paste
• place all the ingredients
• including the soaking water
• into a pestle and mortar
• or food processor
• and blend to a fine paste.
• For the lobster curry
• heat a wok or frying pan until hot
• add three tablespoons of the curry paste and cook until just starting to change colour then add the coconut milk.
• Bring to a simmer and cook for five minutes then add the fish sauce
• tamarind
• lime and sugar. Check the seasoning and add salt and freshly ground black pepper as necessary.
• Carefully remove the meat from the cooked lobsters
• reserving the shells
• and place the meat into the curry sauce and cook over a low heat until hot through.
• Add the coriander and stir through
• then spoon the lobster meat back into the shells.
• For the pad Thai
• heat a wok until hot
• add the oil
• shallot
• chilli
• garlic and ginger and stir fry for a minute.
• Add the prawns and cook for another minute.
• Add the noodles and bean sprouts and stir fry to heat through. Then add the tamarind paste
• fish sauce
• soy sauce and lime juice and stir to coat everything evenly.
• Cook for 1-2 minutes
• until hot
• then add the chopped coriander.
• To serve
• pile pad Thai onto each serving plate and sprinkle with crushed peanuts.
• Place the lobster alongside the pad Thai and spoon over the curry sauce to finish.