Nat Thaipun shares Thai curry butter sauce recipe

Emulsifying involves forcing two things that don’t naturally want to mix – such as oil and water – to create a smooth, glossy sauce. Instead of building a heavy curry, I let the coconut cream split first, then whisk in cold butter right at the end. If we don’t split the coconut cream properly at the start, it will split later in the sauce. That’s what gives the sauce its velvety mouthfeel, the kind that coats your tongue but never feels too greasy. (It’s important to note that not everything has to be emulsified. Curries are always split in Thailand and that is the beauty in those curries, however in some of my recipes I’ve purposefully emulsified the sauces, merging more traditional European techniques with Thai flavours.)

In the method, letting the coconut cream “split” means cooking out the water until the natural oil separates and starts to glisten. It’s a classic South-East Asian cooking technique, not a mistake. You “bloom” your curry paste in that rendered coconut oil to really unlock the flavour, then use what’s left of the coconut solids as the base you build your cold butter into.

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Because you are balancing heat and fat the whole time, there is always a small risk the sauce might split – but don’t panic.

A split emulsion almost always comes down to temperature. Either the pan was too hot when the butter went in, or it went in too fast. Here’s how to bring it back.

Coconut cream: Skip the shake! You want the rich, thick cream that settles at the top, so let the can sit so it’s easy to scoop out. If it’s had a bit of a bump around in the pantry or shopping bag, pop it in the fridge for 15–20 minutes to help it separate faster.

Panang curry paste: Standard store-bought Panang paste is ideal for this recipe – Mae Ploy is my top pick if you’re looking for a specific recommendation. That said, if you fancy making your own from scratch, check out the recipe in my cookbook. It’s genuinely fun, far easier than most people expect, and there’s something about pounding your own paste with a mortar and pestle that makes you fall even more in love with the dish.