I said i'd do it, and i did.
This involves a fuck load of ingredients and time and attention but i promise you it is absolutely worth it.
Some of the ingredients on here can be a bit specific but you should be able to find all of them at an asian supermarket. I've included substitutes and notes for a couple things which might be hard to track down though.
You will need
1.2 kg of deboned possum legs, soak these in milk with a tablespoon of baking soda and salt overnight in the fridge. Remove any yellow fat.
1L of coconut cream, the old reliable can of solo's choice is NOT suitable here. Malaysian coconut cream is very thick, get a carton of UHT coconut cream i've found it to be very close to the authentic stuff.
2 cups of shredded coconut, get the finest stuff you can, but if like me you could only find stuff in quite large pieces, just whizz it in the food processor to make it into fine crumbs.
2 star anise
6 cloves
1 stick of cinnamon
6 cardamom pods
2 heaped teaspoons of ground tumeric or a thumb sized piece of the fresh stuff (if you are growing it in your garden, use one of the leaves too)
1 tbsp brown sugar or palm sugar
10 black peppercorns
1 tsp ground corriander
1 tsp cumin seed
A one inch piece of ginger, skin removed and sliced
A one inch piece of galangal root, if you cannot find this just double the ginger, it will be at most asian supermarkets though
5 cloves garlic
Between 3 and 10 birds eye chilli, depending on how hot you want it. Use one extra than you normally would as the long cooking time is going to reduce the spicyness quite a bit.
2 stalks of lemon grass
12 lime leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons tamarind paste
5 shallots
8 candle nuts, if you can't find these macadamia nuts make a fine substitute
A big spoon of coconut oil, unrefined preferably
A really fucking big wok
Attachment 85537
In a dry pan add all the whole spices and toast on high heat until you can smell them very strongly, add to a pestle and mortar and crush to a fine powder.
Add lemongrass, garlic, shallots, 2/3rds of the lime leaves, chillis, tamarind, all your spices, ginger, galangal, fresh tumeric, sugar and leaves if using and the nuts
Attachment 85539
Blend to as fine a paste as you possibly can get it, add water as needed to keep it moving. It's gonna smell fucking amazing.
Attachment 85540
Get your wok piping hot and toast your coconut until a nice brown colour is achieved, like the colour of milk chocolate. Remove from pan immediately and put in a bowl to cool. Doesn't matter if they're not all perfectly brown just so long as most of it is.
Attachment 85541
Add a big spoon of coconut oil to your wok then add the spice paste to the wok, cook this stirring constantly until most of the water has gone and it's darkened a bit.
Attachment 85542
Then add your meat, make sure every piece is covered in the paste and cook a further minute.
Attachment 85543
Then add your coconut cream and half of your shredded coconut, stir gently to make sure paste is dissolved. Back your heat down until a gentle simmer is achieved, have a beer, durry, cup of tea, whatever because you're not walking away from the stove for a long fucking time once this stuff boils, child labour is a plus for this recipe. Don't think you're clever and go "jee i'll just do it in a slow cooker or a soup pot that'll make this so much easier" because YOU WILL FUCK IT UP THIS RECIPE NEEDS A WOK.
Attachment 85544
Reduce for between 2 and 4 hours, stirring often, make sure nothing sticks to the bottom or you are fucked. It'll get darker and darker as this goes on. Here's what it'll look like halfway along. Yes, my stove is filthy, i'm not sorry.
Attachment 85545
You'll know when it's done because the pan will be almost dry, and it'll be incredibly dark but not burned. Add the remainder of your shredded coconut and the remaining, finely chopped lime leaves at this point along with another spoon of tamarind and season with salt as needed, stir this through then plate up with some rice and some chilli for garnish if you wanna be fancy. This recipe is traditionally done with beef or duck but chicken, venison, goat and as you see, possum will work too. It was fucking delicious and i'll be taking meat from all the possums i shoot from this point on.
Attachment 85547
