Name: Thai Curry Rice with Cod
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: ThaiAsia
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1½ cups long-grain white rice; 8 ounces white mushrooms , trimmed and sliced thin; 1 (8-ounce) can bamboo shoots , rinsed; 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger; 3 scallions , white and green parts separated and sliced thin; 2¼ cups water; Salt and pepper; ¾ cup canned coconut milk; 3 tablespoons red curry paste; 4 (6- to 8-ounce) skinless cod fillets , 1 to 1 ½ inches thick; Lime wedge

Why This Recipe Works

This dish could easily have involved lots of prep and multiple pans, but we layered the components all in one skillet and timed everything just right for a minimalist but boldly flavored meal. To start, we enhanced our rice with meaty mushrooms and crunchy bamboo shoots; sautéing them all in a gingery scallion oil built lots of flavor quickly. After simmering the rice for 10 minutes, we laid fresh cod fillets on top, ensuring the fish and rice would finish at the same time. We prepared a supersimple red coconut curry sauce in the microwave and drizzled some over the cod to infuse the fish while it cooked. And since cod is a relatively wet fish, its natural juices flavored the rice from above, marrying all the flavors of the dish. Sprinkled with scallions and served with spoonfuls of extra sauce and a bright squeeze of lime, our cod was ready for dinner.

Before You Begin

You will need a 12-inch nonstick skillet with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe.

Instructions

Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add rice, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, ginger, and scallion whites. Cook, stirring often, until edges of rice begin to turn translucent, about 2 minutes. Add water and ½ teaspoon salt and bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Whisk coconut milk and curry paste together in bowl. Pat cod dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Lay fillets, skinned side down, on top of rice mixture and drizzle with one-third of coconut-curry sauce. Cover and cook until liquid is absorbed and cod flakes apart when gently prodded with paring knife and registers 140 degrees, 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, microwave remaining coconut-curry sauce mixture until warm, about 1 minute. Sprinkle scallion greens over fish and rice mixture. Serve with remaining coconut-curry sauce and lime wedges.