Cooking with Thai Curry Pastes

The first stage of preparing an authentic Thai curry is to fry the paste in coconut milk, a step called “cracking the coconut milk.” “Frying” in milk may sound odd, but the extra-rich top layer of the milk (coconut cream) separates and becomes quite oily when cooked over low heat. The paste is added and fried to intensify its fragrance, and to infuse the oil with flavor. As shown in the photo for Red Curry, the oil remains in the curry. Although the oil can be skimmed off, it contains precious flavor.