Duck Curry Recipe - Thai Red Curry Recipe | Hank Shaw (2024)

Home | Wild Game | Ducks and Geese | Thai Duck Curry

4.89 from 17 votes

By Hank Shaw

February 18, 2013 | Updated December 21, 2021

Comment

Jump to Recipe

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

One of my favorite recipes in my cookbook Duck, Duck, Goose: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking Waterfowl, Both Farmed and Wild is a Thai green duck curry. This red duck curry is an alternate version, one that’s every bit as popular in Thailand.

Duck Curry Recipe - Thai Red Curry Recipe | Hank Shaw (2)

I consider myself a pretty good cook, but whenever I venture outside my comfort zone I try to seek out people who know more about the food than I do. In this case, my friend Jax Phongsavath’s mom. Jax is as American as I am, but her mom is from Thailand.

Nervously, I ran my green duck curry past her. I was overjoyed to get the “Thai Mom Seal of Approval” for that recipe. Only thing Jax said to me was that her mom usually made Thai red curry with duck.

So here it is: Red duck curry with a Thai mom’s seal of approval. Hope you like it!

The highlights of this curry are, other than the duck, that great warm-rich feeling you get when you combine coconut milk and chiles, and the sweet-tart high notes of the pineapple chunks. If you hate fish sauce, you can skip it, but Jax’s mother will be sad. I prefer Three Crabs brand fish sauce, but Red Boat is also good.

Serve this with white steamed rice and a crisp beer, or an off-dry white wine such as a Gewurztraminer. Once you make this recipe, you can reheat it as leftovers for a few days.

A word on the curry paste. The store-bought ones are very good, especially if you can find Mae Ploy. But if you want to make your own Thai red curry paste, this is a pretty good recipe.

If you’re looking for something Asian, but a little different to make with your duck legs, try my Sriracha Honey Lime Duck Legs instead. And this Thai green curry works well with duck, too.

4.89 from 17 votes

Thai Red Curry Duck

You can make this dish with any wild or domestic duck or goose, and you can use either skin-on or skinless breast meat. I used skinless breast meat here. If you want to use skin-on, sear the skin side of the duck breast until it's crispy and set aside; don't cook the meat side. Follow the recipe as written from there. Most of the ingredients here are available at any major supermarket, and those that might be hard to find I've listed as optional. But each one adds to the authentic Thai flavor, so try to get them if you can. The curry paste is the most vital: If you can't find it in your market, you can buy red curry paste online.

Save RecipePin RecipePrint Recipe

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Thai

Servings: 4 people

Author: Hank Shaw

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon peanut oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced lemongrass (optional, white parts only)
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 yellow onion, sliced thinly top to root
  • 2 to 6 small hot chiles, chopped
  • 1/4 cup Thai red curry paste
  • 1 13- ounce can coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoon fish sauce (optional)
  • 1 pound diced, peeled potatoes
  • 2 tablespoons sugar (palm sugar if you can get it)
  • 1 cup pineapple chunks
  • 1 pound duck or goose breasts, sliced thin
  • Lime juice to taste
  • 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro

Instructions

  • Heat the peanut oil in a wok or a heavy saute pan over high heat. The moment it smokes, add the lemongrass, ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the onion and chiles stir-fry another minute or two, then mix in the curry paste. Stir-fry the curry paste until it begins to separate a little, about 2 minutes.

  • Pour in the coconut milk and stir well to combine. Fill up the coconut milk can with water and pour that in, too. Add the fish sauce and the potatoes and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are almost tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

  • When the potatoes are just about tender, add the pineapple chunks and the sugar. Add salt or more fish sauce to taste. Cook the pineapple for a minute or two before adding in the sliced duck breast.

  • The duck breast will release some juice in a minute or two. When it does, stir the curry well and add the cilantro and lime juice to taste. Turn off the heat and serve immediately over white rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 610kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 801mg | Potassium: 1284mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 2545IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 11mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @huntgathercook or tag #hankshaw!

Categorized as:
Asian, Ducks and Geese, Featured, Recipe, Wild Game

You May Also Like

British

British Game Pie

How to make hand-raised pies with game. This one is a huntsman’s pie, an English classic hand pie made with a hot water crust.

Ducks and Geese

Seared Canada Goose Breast

This is the best Canada goose breast recipe if you want to eat it like a steak or a London broil. Reverse seared goose breast sliced thin and served simply.

Charcuterie

Duck Terrine

Making a duck terrine is not as hard as you might think, although you do need some equipment. Why bother…

Asian

Duck Noodle Soup

A Cantonese duck noodle soup recipe that works with wild or farmed duck. Roast duck with noodles, a duck broth, mustard greens and ginger. Simple and refined.

About Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet’s largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

Read More About Me

Duck Curry Recipe - Thai Red Curry Recipe | Hank Shaw (2024)

FAQs

Is red coconut curry spicy? ›

Thai red curry

They can be hot, but the spice factor in this Thai curry is toned down a little by the inclusion of coconut milk. If you're making this Thai curry from scratch at home, you can always remove the seeds from your chillies to make it less spicy, too.

What is duck curry made of? ›

Crispy duck and curry sauce goes so well on rice. Instead of yellow curry paste, you could use either green or red curry paste. I prefer the yellow paste in this dish. Here are the run down of what's in my curry paste: shallots, garlic cloves, ginger, cilantro, curry powder, turmeric powder, salt, and pepper.

How many calories are in duck curry? ›

1 cup of Roasted Duck Curry has total calories 255 kilocalories, protein 9.5 g., carbohydrate 13 g. and Fat 18.2 g. vitamins and minerals please see more information on nutrition facts sheet below.

How many calories are in duck red curry? ›

Cook Thai Main Red Thai Duck Curry (1 serving) contains 29g total carbs, 29g net carbs, 26g fat, 28g protein, and 460 calories.

What is hotter Thai green or red curry? ›

Green curry is considered the spiciest among the three popular Thai curries. The primary reason for its spiciness is the use of green chillies in the green curry paste. Green chillies are known for their fiery heat, and their inclusion in the paste gives green curry its characteristic kick.

Which color Thai curry is the hottest? ›

Green Thai Curry is considered the hottest of all curries that will give you that burning but tasty flavor all over your mouth. For those who think that red curry is the spiciest among the Thai curries, it's about time to change this mindset.

Is duck curry good for health? ›

Duck meat is an excellent source of protein. Protein keeps us healthy by building and repairing our muscles, skin and blood. Duck meat is an excellent source of iron, providing 50% of the iron we need in a day. Iron helps make healthy blood that flows through our bodies, giving us energy and making us grow.

Is duck common in Thai food? ›

Meats used in Thai cuisine are usually pork and chicken, and also duck, beef, and water buffalo. Goat, lamb, and mutton are rarely eaten except by Muslim Thais in Southern Thailand.

Why is duck cooked rare? ›

Since duck has dark meat and tight muscle fibers, these muscles are often cooked much like beef for tender results. When properly handled, duck can be served pink. A duck breast that is cooked well done will be too tough, as opposed to being cooked to medium rare.

What is the lowest calorie curry? ›

Any Indian curries that are tomato-based, like tandoori, madras, jalfrezi, rogan and bhuna, are the lowest in calories. They average around 200-300 calories. If you want an even healthier option, consider a sauce-free dish like fish tikka (which is only 180 calories).

Is duck eggs high in calories? ›

Nutrients per Serving

One duck egg contains: Calories: 130. Protein: 9 grams. Fat: 10 grams.

Is duck or chicken lower in calories? ›

Duck breast is leaner than chicken breast.

In fact, it is almost on par with turkey breast according to the USDA. Duck breast has only 110 calories per serving whereas a skinless chicken breast has closer to 165 calories per serving.

Is duck red meat high cholesterol? ›

Duck meat has the same cholesterol level as red meat.

Lastly, it bears repeating that red meat is generally known for high cholesterol. And sadly, duck is one of the types of poultry that has this characteristic.

Is duck healthy red meat? ›

Duck meat's rich flavor and color provides a red meat eating experience with the health benefits of poultry. Duck meat is rich in iron and protein like beef but is leaner and has fewer calories like its poultry counterparts. Plus, duck fat is healthier with less saturated fat and more omega-3 fat than beef.

Does red curry have a lot of calories? ›

Worst: Red or Green Curry

One cup of the creamy milk packs in 400 calories. It also has 36 grams of saturated fat -- more than three times the recommended daily amount. For a healthier dish, order the grilled or barbecued curry chicken.

What does coconut red curry taste like? ›

Thai Red Curry, like most Asian curries, has a great depth of flavour. The sauce flavour is complex, it has many layers from all the ingredients in the paste that is then simmered with broth and coconut milk. It's sweet and savoury, and it is quite rich.

Which Thai curry is least spicy? ›

Yellow curry is the mildest and often made with coriander, cumin, lemongrass ginger, garlic, and yellow or red chili. In addition to coconut milk, this curry has a rich taste with sweet and mild flavors.

Which Indian curry is least spicy? ›

Originating in Northern India and Pakistan, the Korma is traditionally made up of yoghurt, coconut milk and almonds, making it one of the mildest curries available. The thick, creamy sauce has a sweet tang to it from the coconut and almonds, and is most commonly made with chicken and served with rice.

What is the difference between red and yellow coconut curry? ›

Traditionally, all Thai curries were made with the same ingredients except for one thing: the chillies. Red curry was made with several red chillies for a fiery hot dish, while green curry was made with green chillies, and yellow curry was made with yellow chillies.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Sen. Emmett Berge

Last Updated:

Views: 6049

Rating: 5 / 5 (60 voted)

Reviews: 91% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Sen. Emmett Berge

Birthday: 1993-06-17

Address: 787 Elvis Divide, Port Brice, OH 24507-6802

Phone: +9779049645255

Job: Senior Healthcare Specialist

Hobby: Cycling, Model building, Kitesurfing, Origami, Lapidary, Dance, Basketball

Introduction: My name is Sen. Emmett Berge, I am a funny, vast, charming, courageous, enthusiastic, jolly, famous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.