Thai Fish Custard, "Haw Mukh"

Haw Mukh is intended as an appetizer or snack. It is essentially a custard made from curried steamed fish. Also spelled as hormuk, or hor mukh, or other similar sound.

Ingredients 

1 pound of white fish (cod), cut into small bite sized chunks 
5 tablespoons of finely chopped cabbage or spinach
6 tablespoons of red curry paste 
6 tablespoons toasted peanuts finely chopped (or crushed in a mortar and pestle)
5-6 kaffir lime leaves, shredded
2 eggs 
6 tablespoons of coconut milk 
2 tablespoons of fish sauce 
2 tablespoons of corn starch 
2 tablespoons Thai chile peppers julienned 

Method 

In Thailand this is steamed in little cups made from banana leaves, pinned together with tooth picks, but you could just as well use ramekin bowls. 

Mix all the ingredients but the peanuts, julienned chilis, cabbage and fish in a food processor. 

Line the bowls with the cabbage, then put the fish in the bowls. Stir the peanuts and chilis into the sauce mixture and pour over the fish. Leave a little expansion space at the top of the dish. 

Place the filled bowls in a steamer, and steam for 15 to 20 minutes (until the fish is cooked and the sauce has set into a custard like consistency). 

To serve  

Either serve the dishes 'as is' with the usual Thai table condiments, or for a more formal occasion, whip some coconut milk, and garnish each bowl with a couple of teaspoons of the whipped coconut milk and a slivered red chili. 

See our feature on hor mukh prepared in the streets of Bangkok.

Hor Mukh -- Street Style! See a Bangkok street vendors prepare it her way (click to enlarge).