Thai Peanut Sauce

Pour half the coconut milk into a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the red curry paste and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes until the paste is fragrant and the oil in the paste begins to separate as tiny slicks at the edge of the pan. This brief frying step — even in coconut milk rather than oil — cooks out the raw smell of dried spice and wakes up the aromatics. The smell shifts from raw and harsh to warm and toasty.

Whisk in the peanut butter and the remaining coconut milk, stirring until completely smooth and uniform. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, whisking steadily. The sauce will thicken considerably as the peanut proteins cook and the coconut milk reduces; if it tightens past a slow-flowing consistency, thin with a splash of water or coconut milk. Cook 5 to 8 minutes until the raw peanut taste mellow into a roasted, nutty depth.

Off the heat, stir in the palm sugar until dissolved, then add the fish sauce and lime juice. Taste and adjust: this sauce should hit sweet first, then the savory-salty fish sauce depth, then bright lime, with the heat building slowly at the back. Tune each element in small doses — a teaspoon of lime lifts more than you'd expect, a few drops of fish sauce deepens without pushing it salty. Add water if needed to reach a consistency that clings to a skewer but flows off a spoon. Pour into a bowl, scatter with crushed peanuts and sliced chili, and serve warm.