Thompson's position on curry pastes is uncompromising: the mortar and pestle produces a categorically different paste from a blender — one that releases oils differently, produces different texture, and integrates differently into coconut cream during cooking. The difference is not subtle; it is the difference between a Thai restaurant's curry and a home version made with blended paste.
Thai curry pastes made by pounding dried and fresh aromatics sequentially in a stone mortar — the physical rupture of cell walls releases fat-soluble aromatic compounds in a way that blade-cutting cannot replicate.
- Pound in order of hardness: dried chilli (softened in water first), galangal, lemongrass (lower stalk only, outer leaves removed), kaffir lime zest, then softer aromatics (shallot, garlic), then shrimp paste last - Each addition is pounded to a paste before the next is added — adding too many ingredients at once means some are smeared while others remain whole - The mortar walls contain aromatic residue — scrape down constantly and incorporate this residue into the paste - The paste is ready when it is completely smooth and no fibre or texture remains — fibrous lemongrass or galangal in the final paste indicates insufficient pounding - Blender alternative when necessary: blend with minimum liquid, then pound the blended paste in a mortar to finish — the pounding step cannot be entirely eliminated [VERIFY] Decisive moment: The smell test during pounding — as the paste develops, the kitchen fills with the combined aroma of all the components integrated. When the aroma of individual ingredients can no longer be detected separately, the paste is approaching completion.
THOMPSON THAI ADDITIONAL + DUNLOP SICHUAN ADDITIONAL