Are you a curry lover? If you haven’t tried panang yet, you must try this Thai dish favourite. It’s very much a chef’s personal dish, so you won’t get the same panang at two restaurants. To make a just-as-impressive wild game version at home, we use a variation on Hank Shaw’s Tempura Shad recipe, which lends itself perfectly to a curry bowl. The extra ingredients and effort are certainly worth it.

Thanks to Josh G. for the recipe. Find more of his great cooking content on Instagram at @theglover_fam_hunts

Ingredients:

Tempura:

• 4–6 goose breasts, sliced lengthwise (about 12 strips)
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 quarts frying oil (peanut, canola or vegetable oil)
• ¼ cup corn starch
• 1¼ cups ice cold apple cider or soda water
• 1 egg
• ⅛ tsp baking soda
• ½ cup coconut flour
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp kosher salt

Curry:

• 1 large red onion
• 4 bell peppers (assorted colors)
• 1 cup sugar snap peas
• 2 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1–2 tsp green curry paste
• 1 litre coconut milk
• 2 cups jasmine or basmati rice

Directions:

1. The night before, remove the silver skin from the goose tenders. Place buttermilk, a pinch of salt, and tenders in a bowl and marinate in the fridge overnight.
2. When ready to cook, warm your oven to its lowest setting. Drain tenders, but don’t rinse (this helps the batter stick). Carefully heat your oil to about 350°F in a Dutch oven, or use the fish setting on your deep fryer.
3. Sift together cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and flours. Separate yolk from the whites, and place in another bowl (use the whites for another recipe or feed to your four-legged friend). Mix the egg yolk and soda or cider, but don’t over-mix—maintain those lovely bubbles!
4. Tip the yolk mixture into dry ingredients, folding until it’s a consistency similar to thick, melted ice cream. One by one, coat your tenders and place them in the hot oil. Don’t overcrowd—you may have to fry in two batches.
5. Fry 3-5 minutes, turning once. Once tenders are golden brown, remove to a metal cooling rack and place them in the warmed oven.
6. Prepare rice as directed on package and set aside. Dice onions, peppers or veggies of choice (carrots, broccoli, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts are all wonderful additions). Just keep proportions consistent, and cooking times for varying veggies in mind.
7. Heat a high-sided pan or wok to medium heat and add oil. When it’s near smoking, add diced onions and sauté until translucent. Add garlic and sauté another 2 minutes.
8. Slightly turn up the heat and add pepper and onions. A nice char makes the peppers much sweeter. If needed, add another dash of oil. Add curry paste, mixing furiously, so it doesn’t burn. Keep your fume hood on and face away from the pan!
9. Toss everything evenly, and prepare for magic: add the coconut milk and stir in peanut butter.
10. Add snap peas and simmer mixture about 10 minutes. Taste and add more curry if desired. Remember, the longer it cooks, the more the vegetables will break down.
11. Use larger bowls for plating. Shape rice with a ramekin and place in the bottom of the bowl. Add two or three tenders atop and finish with a ladle of panang to fill the bowl (don’t cover the rice). Drizzle on sesame oil to finish. Enjoy!