Stephen Ceideburg
     10    White peppercorns

           Mace
      1 ts Thai shrimp paste

      3    To 5 long red dried chillies

      4    Cloves shallots

    1/2    Stalk lemon grass

      1 ts Galangal

    1/2 ts Kaffir Lime Zest

      1 tb Chopped Coriander Root

    1/2 ts Salt

    250 ml Coconut Cream

      2 tb To 3 tb Red Curry Paste

      1 tb Fish Sauce

    1/2 tb Palm Sugar

     24    Coffin Bay Scallops

    125 ml Coconut Milk

      5    Kaffir Lime Leaves

      1 lg Fresh Red Chilli, Julienned

      2 tb Coriander Leaves

           Jasmine Rice
  A colleague who recently visited the Darley Street Thai at its new location
  in Bayswater Road, Kings Cross, described this dish as "exquisite". Though
  the recipe may seem dauntingly lengthy, most of it is simply a long list of
  ingredients for red curry paste, which can be made in quantity and stored
  in a container in the fridge for 3-4 weeks for further use. Frozen kaffir
  limes can be bought very cheaply in good Asian stores, where the rest of
  the ingredients listed should also be avail- able. Grate the limes for zest
  while they are stir frozen.
  In a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, grind to a powder 10 white
  peppercorns and a few sheaves of mace. Roast 1 teaspoon of Thai shrimp
  paste by zapping it in a microwave oven or putting it on a little piece of
  foil under the grill.
  Put the pepper-mace mixture and the shrimp paste in a blender (David
  recommends a blender but some of us will have to make do with a food
  processor or the mortar and pestle) and add 3- 5 long red dried chillies,
  deseeded, washed and chopped, 4 cloves of true shallots, (or substitute the
  same quantity of Spanish onion), 1/2 stalk of lemon grass, sliced, 1
  teaspoon galangal. peeled and chopped, 1/2 teaspoon kaffir lime zest, 1
  tablespoon of coriander root, scraped and chopped, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and
  a little water. Process to a very fine paste. This may take up to 10
  minutes. Transfer to a storage jar.
  In a medium-size pan, boil 250 mL coconut cream over high heat, stirring
  constantly, until the oil separates out, about 3-5 minutes. (If using
  canned coconut cream, don't shake the can -use the solid mass of coconut at
  the top of the can, plus as much of the rest as you need to make up 250mL.
  If it doesn't separate within 5 minutes, add a tablespoon of oil.) Add 2-3
  tablespoons of red curry paste and fry for 5 minutes, stirring, until fra-
  grant. Add 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1/2 tablespoon palm sugar and fry until
  colour deepens. Add 24 Coffin Bay scallops (12 if other dishes will be
  served simultaneously) and 125 mL coconut milk. Check for sweet-sour
  balance. Throw in 5 kaffir lime leaves, shredded, 1 large fresh red chilli,
  julienned, and 2 tablespoons of either coriander or basil leaves. Serve
  with jasmine rice.
  From an article by Meryl Constance in The Sydney Morning Herald, 6/15/93.
  Courtesy Mark Herron.