Make It in a Mug: Halibut and Tomato Curry Falling temps got you down? We’re with you. After...

Make It in a Mug:
Halibut and Tomato Curry

Falling temps got you down? We’re with you. After exhausting our roster of quick… >

Make It in a Mug:
Halibut and Tomato Curry

Falling temps got you down? We’re with you. After exhausting our roster of quick fixes—hot tea, warm bath, woolly socks—we took to the kitchen to whip up a cold-be-gone curry that packs a spicy punch. Ginger? Check. Fresh chili? Of course. But the coup de grâce to any lingering shivers comes courtesy of the citrusy warmth of kaffir lime leaves and the intense aromatics of cardamom. One mugful and we’re feeling mighty toasty indeed. Your move, Jack Frost.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

1-2 cloves garlic
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
5 pods black cardamom, shelled
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1/2 tablespoon coriander seeds
1/2 tablespoon fresh chili, seeded and chopped, or chili powder to taste
1/2 tablespoon fenugreek seed
1/2 tablespoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 large onion, chopped
4 large tomatoes, chopped
3 kaffir lime leaves
1 can coconut milk
6 small whole tomatoes
3 servings halibut
Handful fresh cilantro, chopped
Yogurt, to serve
Lime wedges, to serve
Olive oil

HOW TO MAKE IT…

With a mortar and pestle, combine garlic, ginger and all dry spices. Grind everything together until a paste forms. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a baking dish, add the six whole tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow to rest.

In a large pot over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and chopped onion. Sauté until translucent and fragrant. Add curry paste and cook another minute. Then add chopped tomatoes and kaffir lime leaves, and cook until tomatoes are just broken down. Add coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Allow to sit on low heat while you prepare the fish.

Rinse the halibut and pat dry. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Making sure your oil is hot enough for a good sear, add your fish, skin side down, and cook for 4-5 minutes without disturbing. Flip and cook another 4 minutes.

Ladle curry into mugs and serve immediately with several whole tomatoes and halibut. Top with fresh cilantro, yogurt and lime.