Tho Ruung Hor Mok (Steamed Thai Fish Custard)

This recipe is from a stall in one of the street markets in Bangkok, Thailand.

• Ready In: 31 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 lbs  halibut (boneless and skinless) or 1 1⁄2 lbs grouper (boneless and skinless) or 1 1⁄2 lbs red snapper fillets, finely chopped (boneless and skinless)
• 2  cups coconut milk
• 1⁄3 cup red curry paste
• 1  tablespoon fish sauce
• 2 1⁄2 teaspoons palm sugar, finely chopped or 2 1⁄2 teaspoons  packed dark brown sugar
• 2  eggs
• 13  kaffir lime leaves, very thinly shredded
•  kosher salt, to taste
• 1⁄4 cup basil leaves, chiffonade cut
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1  red Thai chile, stemmed and very thinly sliced crosswise

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Process fish, 1 cup coconut milk, curry paste, fish sauce, 2 teaspoons sugar, and eggs in a food processor until very smooth, 1–2 minutes. Stir in 12 shredded lime leaves, season with salt.
3. Divide half the fish custard between ramekins, top each with basil leaves, and cover with remaining custard.
4. Place ramekins in a 9″ × 13″ baking pan; pour boiling water into pan so that it comes halfway up sides of ramekins.
5. Bake until custards set and begin to pull away from sides of ramekins, about 16 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, heat remaining coconut milk and sugar with cornstarch in a 1-qt saucepan over medium-high heat; cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes.
7. Remove pan from oven and remove ramekins from water; top each with some of the thickened coconut milk, and sprinkle with remaining shredded lime leaf and chiles.