# Trader Joe’s Thai Red Curry Simmer Sauce



## Outrigger (Nov 6, 2006)

I sometimes buy the ethnic simmer sauces in the market, but I’ve found they could benefit from a little tweaking. This was the Trader Joe’s stuff. Out of the bottle it had a pretty sharp taste and I didn’t think it was all that great to begin with if left alone. I ended up making a sauce with lentils that the Ms. enjoyed spooned over extra bowls of white rice. Here’s what I did.

*INGREDIENTS:*

1 bottle Thai Red Curry Sauce
5 bone-in skin-on thighs 
3 cloves garlic 
1/2 chopped onion
 2 cups chicken stock (separated to 1.5 cups at first and .5 cup towards end)…could simply add full 2 cups now but I think you may need to reduce simmering time as chicken would be mostly submerged?
1 Tbsp sugar…I think I added an extra teaspoon at end…can’t remember? Just go by taste. 
3/4 cup red lentils 
SLURRY: used 1-Tbsp + 1-tsp corn starch & 9-Tbsp light cream = (1/2cup + 1-Tbsp cream). Stir together well before adding.
*PROCEDURE:*

Season and brown thighs (a little bacon renderings added to pan is always a good thing) then remove and discard skin. Pour off excess oil if needed, leaving some in pan for onions and garlic.
Saute onion, adding touch of water to soften onions & prevent fond from burning. Can top with cover briefly as well. Then add garlic when onion is near done. Saute until fragrant.
Add 1 bottle simmer sauce, 1.5 cups stock now, 1-Tbsp sugar, scrape up fond, add back thighs, cover and simmer ~1.5 hours or so until chicken is cooked to your liking. I think I ended up doing mine closer to 1:45 total I guess. Flip chicken a few times in pan during simmer.
Add lentils and last .5 cup of stock about 25 mins before final cooking time. Addition of lentils will soak up some of the extra sauce/stock
Make slurry – Once chicken and lentils are close to finished, time to finish the sauce. Add cornstarch to cream. You can use less of the cream above to make the slurry (but still add the cornstarch) and add cream according to your tastes. Raise heat to a good simmer to activate the cornstarch. Let flavors develop a little.
Taste for seasoning: salt, pepper, touch of sugar.
Serve with steamed/roasted broccoli

*NOTE:*


Could use chickpeas and adjust/reduce stock if needed. Chickpeas only take like 15-20 mins to soften.
Could use can of Hunt’s fire-roasted tomatoes. I would sauté the onions and garlic first then add the tomatoes sautéing a little further to combine flavors in step two.
Try a mix of cream & coconut milk? 
I didn't use chickpeas...went with red lentils 










For whatever reason I took off skin??? Just trim off excess skin and add a little bacon rendering to pan if you want. Discard skin after browning both sides.










Use a little more onion than this...found this in the back of the fridge that the Ms. hacked up. Do a better chop.










Here's what it looks like with the addition of the bottled sauce, chicken stock and tbsp sugar added along w/thighs. Cover and simmer.










After I scooped out some chicken and sauce. Sauce lightens due to cream & slurry.










Plate for the Ms. Serve with some steamed veggies.


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## Paymaster (Jan 22, 2009)

Looks awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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