Salmon chu chi with red curry sauce

1 Pat the fish dry with kitchen paper. Put a frying pan over a medium-high heat and add 1 tsp vegetable oil. When hot, add the salmon, skin-side down. Cook over a medium heat for 5-6 minutes, until the skin is crisp. Turn over and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the fish is cooked through and opaque. Transfer to a warm serving plate and set aside. Heat the remaining vegetable oil in a wok or frying pan over a medium heat and sauté the curry paste in the oil until it is fragrant (1-2 minutes). Be careful of spitting.

2 Add ⅔ of the coconut milk, the fish sauce and palm sugar to the curry paste, mix well and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to stir continuously for about 2-3 minutes, until the oil from the curry paste starts rising to the top and the mixture is smooth and thick. Add the rest of the coconut milk and bring to the boil again. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for another minute or two, then taste the sauce. It should have a perfect balance of spicy, salty and sweet – if it doesn’t, adjust with a little fish sauce or palm sugar. Pour the sauce over the fish fillets, and garnish with the shredded lime leaf, chilli and basil just before serving