Fish with Red Curry Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons dried shrimp
• About 4 cups vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste (preferably Mae Ploy brand)*
• 1 (14-oz) can unsweetened coconut milk* at room temperature
• stirred well
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce*
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 1/2 lb skinless snapper fillets
• cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup Asian rice flour* (not sweet)
• About 10 Chinese long beans*
• or 4 oz green beans
• cut into 2-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
• Special equipment: an electric coffee/spice grinder; a deep-fat thermometer
• Accompaniment: steamed jasmine rice

Instructions

1. Grind dried shrimp in grinder until fluffy, about 1 minute.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook curry paste, stirring constantly, 30 seconds.
3. Add coconut milk gradually, whisking until smooth, then add fish sauce and sugar and cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved.
4. Stir in ground shrimp, then remove from heat and keep covered.
5. Heat 1 inch oil in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan until it registers 375F on thermometer.
6. Pat fish dry and sprinkle with salt.
7. Dredge in rice flour, shaking off excess, and arrange in 1 layer on a plate.
8. Cook beans in oil 30 seconds and transfer to paper towels to drain.
9. Return oil to 375F and fry fish in 2 batches, turning, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per batch.
10. Transfer fish to fresh paper towels to drain.
11. Bring curry sauce to a simmer, then add fish and cook, turning fish gently to coat with sauce, about 1 minute.
12. Serve fish curry with long beans scattered on top.
13. *Ingredients available at Asian markets, ethnicgrocer.com (866-438-4642), and templeofthai.com (877-811-8773).