Derval O'Rourke: How to make Annalise Murphy's Thai red fish curry 

This week Derval had a chat with Annalise Murphy, Olympic Silver Medalist, about the ocean and what it means to her

Thai red curry with fish

I’ve always loved being close to the sea and some of my best memories as a child are going to the beach with my Mum. When I competed at the Olympics I was struck by how much the sailing team had a deep respect for the ocean environment. The health of the ocean and its environment is so sacred to them. This week I had a chat with Annalise Murphy, Olympic Silver Medalist, about the ocean and what it means to her. She has also been kind enough to share with us an amazing Thai Red Curry!

Annalise has spent more of her life on water than she has on land and when she took part in the Volvo Ocean Race, the all-female crew decided their theme, aptly called, Turn the Tide on Plastics, would be about using their platform to raise awareness on single-use plastics and the damage this has on our oceans.

When I asked Annalise what she loves about the ocean, her answer was simple, “everything!”. So I asked her if she could elaborate! Here’s what she had to say...

Annalise Murphy at the Tokyo Olympics 

“I suppose it’s like the old saying, ‘You don’t know what you’ve got ’till it’s gone’, that you only truly appreciate something when you have time to reflect on it. Over the past eight months, not being able to be out on the water every day, has made me realise just how much I miss it and appreciate everything I saw and experienced during my career on the water. It really was a privilege to do what I love as my job. 

"Perspective would be a word I use a lot to describe being out on the water. Not only do you see the landscape in a way that is unique, you get to see yourself from a different perspective too. I was able to see places all over the world through a completely different lens, peaceful and undisturbed.

What saddened me was seeing what we have done to our oceans. You don’t expect to crash into a wheelie bin in the middle of the ocean, thousands of miles from land, and yet we did during the Volvo Ocean Race.

"Our mission was to spread awareness on plastic because what we saw was so profound. The world’s CO2 is absorbed into the ocean, we tend to forget about that. So the ocean is already working overtime to provide us with clean air, nourishment to grow food, a home for ocean life, but what it can’t do is break down all the plastic that is pumped into it on a daily basis around the world.

“I would safely say being on the water is my mood elevator. If I’m happy, I’m happier on the water, if I’m frustrated or sad, just cruising around for an hour immediately changes my mood. That fresh air biting at my face, the salt water splashing up, you don’t have time to be anything but in that moment and it’s the best feeling. What I would say is the ocean gives us so much and asks for so little in return. The only request really is respect. It will continue to provide us with everything we need indefinitely if we just show it the respect it deserves.”

Wellness Tip: Water – use water this week to recharge your batteries. If you live near water, take a nice stroll or just sit nearby. Listen to its movement, appreciate the sounds and sights around you. If you don’t live near water, that’s okay, take a nice bath or shower and use the time to appreciate the warmth of the water and how relaxed you feel.

Exercise Tip: Hello toned arms - Holding a water bottle, (use whatever size you feel comfortable with), raise your arms out in front of you. Bring the bottle up above your head and as you do, breathe out. Repeat 10 times and do 3 reps. Try to do this three times this week.

Annalise Murphy’s Ocean Thai Red Curry

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

A perfect mid-week meal

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 50 mins

Total Time

 60 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Thai

Ingredients

• 500g white fish like cod or hake

• 200g prawns

• 1 tbsp red curry paste

• 1 tin coconut milk

• 1 onion, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, diced

• 1 tsp ginger

• 1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)

• 1 tbsp almond butter

• Fresh coriander, lightly chopped

• 1 carrot, diced finely

• 250g rice

• 1 tsp butter

• 1 lemon

Method

1. Heat the pan with butter, add in your onions and stir until golden brown. Add in your fish, carrots, almond butter, chilli flakes, ginger, garlic, curry paste, and a squeeze of lemon.

2. Once the fish is sealed, add the coconut milk, prawns and leave on a low heat for 40 minutes. Try not to stir too much.

3. Cook your rice in a pan for 20 minutes.

4. Serve on a bed of rice with some fresh coriander sprinkled on top.