I was first introduced to this salad about 20 years ago by a Thai friend. I was battling a bad sinus infection and she insisted her papaya salad would give me relief. I heard "papaya" and "salad" and assumed the Vitamin C would be the cure. Um no it was the handful of chile peppers. Sinus infection was gone that day. I'll spare you the details.

She made it quite a bit and when she couldn't get green papaya she would use shredded carrot.

This is one of my favorite Thai dishes of all time. I did cut back on the chiles from her handful. Dried shrimp are found in the refrigerated section of my Asian grocery. They also had bags of shredded green papaya in the produce section. I pounded the dressing in my giant mortar and pestle and added the papaya because that's how she did it.

You can definitely add to this. I suggest green onions, peanuts, carrot, radish or green beans.

Green Papaya Salad

Gourmet  | May 2000

1 tablespoon dried shrimp
6 Thai chiles
4 garlic cloves
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons asian fish sauce
4 tablespoons palm or brown sugar
1 pound grated green papaya

Crush the dried shrimp with the chiles and garlic cloves, then whisk in the lime juice, fish sauce and the sugar. Toss the dressing with the papaya and serve.

 



This is our second recipe from Steven Raichlen's Planet Barbeque. The original recipe calls for halibut but I had good mahi in the freezer so I used that.

We loved this! With the sauce the flavors popped into a party in your mouth. Hot salty sour and sweet! I thought it required less cooking on our charcoal grill but on a gas grill 5-7 minutes is about right.

I served it with brown rice and baby bok choy stir fried in sesame oil with garlic and soy sauce.

Herb Paste

2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and cut crosswise in 1/4 inch slices
1/4 cup lightly packed  Thai basil leaves
2 cloves garlic peeled and halved
1 tbs chopped corriander root or 2 tbs coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
1-2 Thai chiles or serrano peppers, chopped
1 tsp coarse kosher salt
2 tbs Asian(dark) sesame oil

Place the lemongrass through the salt in a mortar and pestle and pound into a paste. Work in the sesame oil. If you don't have a mortar and pestle use your food processor.

For the Fish

4 banana leaves cut in 8x8 squares(you can also use foil but it's not as fun)
2 firm white fish fillets

Honey Lime Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce or soy sauce (I used fish sauce)
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1 Thai chili chopped

Mix everything

1. Prepare the herb paste and spread a spoonful on the banana leaf(to soften the leaf heat it over a burner for 15-30 minutes). Place fish on paste and spread another spoonful on top of fish. Fold banana leaf like you fold a burrito and secure with butcher string or a toothpick. Marinate 20 minutes to 2 hours.

2. Prepare a grill for direct heat on high

3. Grill fish packets 5-7 minutes on each side. To check for done-ness insert a metal skewer through the packet and let sit for 15 seconds

4. Serve the fish with the dipping sauce. Cut the string, open and enjoy.

Supposedly this is one of the BEST fried chicken recipes EVER! I found it in The Atlantic's April 2009 issue and knew I had to try it as a lover of Thai food and fried chicken. The article is pretty good too.
I'm no fried chicken connoisseur. I've never even been to KFC. My experience is limited to my mom's old school recipe which involved dredging in flour, salt and pepper and a big chunk of Crisco. I loved that chicken but as soon as Oprah and her chef Rosie popularized baking chicken with a cornflake coating it became an endangered species in my world. I don't think mom used the cornfalkes but she did start baking the chicken. It was good but not the same.

My biggest beef with frying is the mess. And the fact I never fail to splatter myself even with my splatter screen. But I wanted the chicken so I bought myself a deep fryer. When I brought it home I think my boyfriend was more excited. He declared we had to "break it in" and ran to the store for a bag of potatoes and some oil and made fries. By the way, Emeril's Perfect French Fries are pretty darn good. He's planning on frying more things. He says he wants fried food once a week. I think once a month, if that often, is a better idea.

I have to admit the chicken is pretty awesome! The leftovers are calling my name. But I don't know if I'd compare it to southern fried as it's a totally different taste.

I found coriander with the roots at the Asian grocery store. I think it's a shame that US grocery stores cut them off as they're full of flavor. If you can't find them it's OK to use all stems. But get the roots if you can.

If you don't have a mortar and pestle you can use a food processor but use a mortar and pestle if you can. I bought mine at the Asian grocery store. Much cheaper than Sur La Table. It weighs a ton but I love it and pounding things to a paste is great therapy.



Note it is recommended that the chicken marinate overnight!

Sukhamvit Soi Five Fried Chicken Recipe HERE.

I served my chicken with jasmine rice and steamed vegetables, along with some Sriracha for dipping.

Just a warning-this dish is spicy! And drunken refers to the amount of liquid you'll need to quench yourself after a few bites this dish. Oh and keep a box of Kleenex handy because it's a nose runner.

All that said I do like it a lot! I try to make it several times a year. Yeah it's hot as all get out but the depth of flavors make it work. It's not one note.

Prep work and cooking is easy too. I used Thai basil. If you can't get that try mint. I used the Golden Mountain sauce but you could definitely substitute light soy sauce. Black soy is like soy sauce with molasses. It's a distinct flavor so try to get that if you can.

You can also vary the meats. I've used shrimp and pork.

Drunken noodles recipe HERE courtesy of Bon Appetit, September 2005.

So this didn't go as expected. My inner pyro was fascinated with the the Volcano Chicken recipe on Importfood.com. I love Thai food and I've never intentionally set my food on fire before so what's not to love? It looked easy and not too dangerous.

I made the marinade(screw the mortar and pestle I used my mini-processor). I also subbed Sambal Olek for the chili in oil.

Then I had the brilliant idea of putting this on the grill since it's a bit warm for the oven here and I've seen people grill their chickens on beer cans before. I'm not an experienced griller but it seemed easy enough. HA!

I wanted to light the chicken outside and take a picture of the flaming chicken by the pool. Who wouldn't want to see that?

Turns out the whiskey in the marinade is already flammable and my chicken set his own self on fire so no final flambee for me. Luckily I caught it before it burned to a crisp (I was able to salvage most of the skin-yay!) but was disappointed I couldn't get my picture.

Despite the fire the chicken was cooked perfectly and the marinade is delish. A definite keeper. I'll make this again this fall or winter. I'll do it in the oven then take it outside for that pool shot.

In my opinion spring rolls are the perfect summer meal. Easy and refreshing. I like to make my filling ahead of time and roll right before I'm ready to eat.

Yeah mine aren't photogenic but I haven't made these since last summer and need to get my "rolling mojo" back. Seems the first few aren't pretty but with practice it becomes second nature. I really meant to post this last summer. I have other recipes I can post at a later date.

For how to prepare the rice papers scroll to the bottom of the page. I pour hot water on a plate and use that to soak my papers. I also wasn't really careful about how I put the ingredients in. The most important part is to have a mis en place.

The rolls I made today are the Shrimp Rolls with Chili, Garlic, and Lime Dipping Sauce. I had extra ingredients and combined them with some of the sauce for a spring roll salad for tomorrows lunch. I also stuck a few cloves of my black garlic in one of them and that took the flavor to a whole new level.

From the May 2007 issue of Women's Health and Fitness magazine.


Shrimp Rolls with Chili, Garlic, and Lime Dipping Sauce
Mint leaves and crunchy bean sprouts make a great combo with sweet and tender shrimp.

Dipping sauce
2 Tbsp chili garlic sauce (I used Huy Fong brand. 2 TBS makes it really hot so adjust if you're a wimp)
2Tbsp Vietnamese or Thai fish sauce
1/4 c fresh lime juice
2 tsp light brown sugar
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

Roll
12 jumbo shrimp, shells and tails removed
4 oz rice stick noodles
8 large rice paper wrappers
16 large mint leaves, rinsed and patted dry
2 c bean sprouts, rinsed and patted dry
8 small leaves Boston lettuce, rinsed and patted dry, hard stems removed

1. In small bowl, whisk together all dipping sauce ingredients. Set aside.
2. Bring saucepan filled with water to boil. Add shrimp and noodles and cook for 3 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Cut shrimp in half lengthwise. Set aside.
3. Prepare rice paper.
4. Place two mint leaves on lower third of wrapper and top with three shrimp halves. Lay cup noodles over shrimp. Sprinkle with 4 tablespoons sprouts. Fold one lettuce leaf and place on top.
5. Roll. Repeat until all wrappers and ingredients have been used.
6. Cut each roll in half. Serve immediately.

Per roll: 96 calories, 1g fat (0g saturated), 538mg sodium, 17g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 4g protein

Veggie Rolls with Mango-Ginger Dipping Sauce
A sweet-and-sour sauce tempers the spicy radish sprouts in this produce-packed roll. Can't find mango fruit spread? Try apricot, peach, pineapple, or plum instead.

Dipping sauce
4 Tbsp mango fruit spread
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp finely grated ginger
1/4 tsp hot sauce
Finely grated peel from 1 small lime

Roll
8 large rice paper wrappers
1/4 c cilantro leaves, rinsed and patted dry
3 oz Thai-style baked tofu (such as White Wave or Wild Wood), thinly sliced
2 c radish sprouts
1/2 c shredded carrots
16 snow peas, rinsed and patted dry, ends trimmed
8 small, tender leaves Boston or romaine lettuce, rinsed and patted dry

1. In small bowl, whisk together all dipping sauce ingredients. Set aside.
2. Prepare rice paper
3. Place two to four cilantro leaves on lower third of wrapper and cover with two or three tofu slices. Top with cup sprouts, 1 tablespoon carrots, and two snow peas. Fold one lettuce leaf in half and place on top.
4. Roll. Repeat until all wrappers and ingredients have been used.
5. Cut each roll in half. Serve immediately.

Per roll: 67 calories, 2.5g fat (0g saturated), 137mg sodium, 9g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 3g protein

Cucumber and Soba Noodle Rolls with Sesame-Peanut Dipping Sauce
Just like your favorite cold sesame noodle takeout -- only healthier. Broccoli sprouts' natural nutty flavor mixes perfectly with the peanut sauce. This version uses less fat (a little sesame oil goes a long way).

Dipping sauce
2 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp hot water
1 Tbsp natural peanut butter
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp hot sauce
1/2 tsp honey

Roll
4 oz soba noodles
8 large rice paper wrappers
2 c broccoli sprouts
1/2 English cucumber, peeled and cut into 8 7-inch spears
8 scallions, rinsed and patted dry, ends and tops trimmed

1. In blender or food processor, blend all dipping sauce ingredients until smooth. Set aside.
2. Bring saucepan filled with water to boil. Add noodles and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Set aside.
3. Prepare rice paper.
4. Place cup sprouts on lower third of wrapper. Lay cup noodles over sprouts. Top with one cucumber spear and one scallion.
5. Roll. Repeat until all wrappers and ingredients have been used.
6. Cut each roll in half. Serve immediately.

Per roll: 115 calories, 5.5g fat (0.5g saturated), 289mg sodium, 15g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 4g protein

Watercress and Poached Chicken Rolls with Curry Dipping Sauce
The alfalfa sprouts add a fresh edge to this kicked-up variation of chicken salad. If you don't have time to poach, cheat with rotisserie chicken.

Dipping sauce
1/4 c Greek-style low-fat yogurt
3 Tbsp low-fat coconut milk
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp hot curry powder
Salt to taste

Roll
1 chicken breast (7 oz)
1 3-inch knob ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
4 dried Thai chilies (or other hot varieties)
1/4 c rice wine vinegar
1 small yellow onion, peeled and quartered
3 cloves garlic
8 large rice paper wrappers
2 c watercress
2 c alfalfa sprouts
1/4 c thinly sliced red onion, cut lengthwise
1/4 c matchstick-cut Granny Smith apple

1. In small bowl, whisk together all dipping sauce ingredients. Set aside.
2. Fill saucepan with water. Add chicken, ginger, chilies, vinegar, yellow onion, and garlic and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from poaching liquid and let cool, then shred into large pieces.
3. Prepare rice paper.
4. Place cup watercress on lower third of wrapper. Top with cup sprouts and a few pieces of chicken. Sprinkle with red onions and apples.
5. Roll Repeat until all wrappers and ingredients have been used.
6. Cut each roll in half. Serve immediately.

Per roll: 53 calories, 2g fat (0.5g saturated), 21mg sodium, 2g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 7g protein


Rolling tips:

For easy rolling, avoid paper labeled "thin" or "mong," says Andrea Nguyen, author of Into the Vietnamese Kitchen.

To get rice paper ready for wrapping, first fill a shallow bowl with hot water. Dip one sheet at a time until it becomes pliable (about 5 seconds). Lay the wet wrapper on a damp towel and let it rest a few seconds until it's soft and slightly tacky.

Follow Nguyen's three-step process to turn a heap of ingredients into an easy-to-handle appetizer.

1 Place the filling on the lower third of the rice paper, an inch or so from the edge.

2 Fold up the bottom end over the filling.

3 Tuck in the sides toward the center and roll upward tightly.

Tom Kha Gai is my favorite soup on the menu of our local Thai restaurant. They serve it in one of those aluminum chimneys. It's usually the only thinkg I get.

Anyway I've been meaning to replicate it for a couple of years but never got around to it. I looked a lot of different recipes and took notes from each one but settled on measurements from THIS recipe on the Food Tastes Good blog.

I added a can of straw mushrooms, rinsed very well, and skipped the red bell pepper, salt and red pepper flakes. I made my own nam prik pao(Thai roasted red chili paste but I used a recipe from my Hot Sour Salty Sweet cookbook which doesn't call for palm sugar. My block of palm sugar was harder than cement and I would have needed a jackhammer to break it apart so I used brown sugar.

The end result was very close to what I get at the restaurant. The heat was just right for me. Gradual and flavorful.

I took the leftovers to work served over jasmin rice and it held up very well. I'm definitely making it again next week.

Sorry no picture. I realized too late the batteries in my camera were dead. Normally I wouldn't post without a picture but this was too good not to share.

But I assure you that mine looked every bit as scrumptious as the photo on Serious Eats.

It was THIS PHOTO that enticed me to make the recipe.

It was also so incredibly easy! I did have one roll break apart on the grill but the upside of that was I could see how done they were. I'm paranoid about ground beef with all the recalls.

The rolls were very very tasty. I loved the grilled basil/mint/chili combo. I only used 4 chilis and chopped them very fine in my mini-chopper.

The word sweet really shouldn't be in the description of the sauce. There's a little bit of sweet and a whole lotta spicy!!

These are definitely going on my rotation and I'd like to try it with ground pork or chicken.

I love watermelon! And knowing that the skewers would be a little spicy I though it would be a perfect side with a twist.

Bittman has a grilled watermelon recipe in How to Cook Everything Vegetarian only he uses rosemary and lemon juice. I thought mint would compliment the Asian dishes and I had some in the fridge that was looking a little wilty.

Simply cut a slice of watermelon rind intact, seed as well as possible without smashing the flesh, sprinkle with salt and pepper and brush with a mixture of olive oil and fresh mint. Grill over high heat, about 5 minutes on each side and sprinkle with fresh lime juice before serving. The juice carmelizes, almost becoming a syrup and the flavor intensifies. I think you could try a variety of herbs and spices. You could even do mint or basil and feta cheese.

Since watermelons were two for one at Fry's I plan on experimenting.

The skewer recipe is courtesy of uber-chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and appeared in the May 2008 issue of Self magazine. It's very food and not too spicy. You can adjust the Siracha if you want more of a kick.



8 wooden skewers
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp grated orange zest
1 tsp sriracha
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
1 lb lean beef sirloin, cut into 1/8-inch strips
1 each red, green and yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded and cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces (optional)
Vegetable oil cooking spray

Dipping sauce
1/2 cup low fat mayonnaise(I used regular because low fat has HFCS)
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp fish sauce
Preparation

Soak skewers for 30 minutes. Puree cilantro, garlic, soy sauce, orange zest, sriracha, fish sauce and sugar in a food processor. Transfer marinade to a resealable plastic bag; add beef. Seal bag, toss and set aside up to 30 minutes. Combine dipping sauce ingredients in a bowl. Thread 4 pieces of pepper and 2 beef strips on each skewer, alternating beef and peppers. Coat grill rack with cooking spray; heat grill to high; cook until meat is no longer pink, about 3 minutes.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 122 calories (with bell peppers), 3.7 g fat (0.6 g saturated), 14 g carbs, 1.9 g fiber, 9.7 g protein

This is fantaastic if you're looking for something really light or a soup course as part of a Thai meal.

I'm seeking out lighter fare as I'm filming an infomercial next month and I need to look hot in case Spielberg sees me and decides to make me a star. Or maybe George Clooney will see me and beg to be my sugar daddy.

Anyway this goes together lickity split but tastes like you put a lot more effort into it.




Hot-and-Sour Soup with Shrimp, Napa Cabbage, and Shiitake Mushrooms

Bon Appetit, June 2006

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
3 14-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth
2 kaffir lime leaves or 1 teaspoon finely grated lime peel
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 pound uncooked deveined peeled medium shrimp, halved lengthwise
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, sliced 1/8 inch thick
8 ounces Napa cabbage, cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices (about 4 cups)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
Chopped fresh cilantro
Chopped fresh green onions

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add curry paste and stir until beginning to stick to pan, about 4 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, kaffir lime leaves, and minced ginger. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer 5 minutes. Add shrimp and mushrooms. Cook until shrimp begin to turn pink, about 3 minutes. Add cabbage; cook until beginning to wilt, about 30 seconds. Stir in lime juice. Divide soup among bowls; sprinkle with chopped cilantro and green onions and serve.

Market tip: Using Thai red curry paste is an easy way to add tons of flavor and some heat to your cooking. It is available in the Asian foods section of most supermarkets; at Asian markets, it is known as gaeng pet. Kaffir lime leaves, which come from kaffir lime trees in Southeast Asia and Hawaii, have a floral-citrus aroma. The leaves are sold frozen and are sometimes available fresh at Southeast Asian markets.

I was attracted to this recipe by the name. Evil Jungle Prince? What's so evil? And who was this prince of the jungle.

Turns out this recipe originated at a Thai restaurant in California. Hence it's sorta Thai. I could not find an explanation of how it came to be named.

I neglected to pick up Thai bird chilis and Thai basil during my Whole Foods visit so I had to use serranos and regular basil. I don't know how much this changed the flavor profile of the dish. For all I know I made Naughty Jungle Prince.

I'll definitely make it again soon with the proper ingredients. It was very fast to put together and the ingredients are easy to keep on hand.



Evil Jungle Prince
Recipe from Recipe Land

1/2 lb chicken breasts boneless, or 1/2 lb mixed vegetables
2-6 small red chili peppers
1/2 Stalk lemon grass
2 kaffir lime leaves
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt (I didn't use any salt because of the fish sauce)
1-4 tablespoons fish sauce (I used 3 tbs)
10-15 basil leaves
1 cup cabbage chopped

Thinly cut chicken into 2-inch strips. (If doing veggie version, cut vegetables into thin strips.) Grind together red chili peppers, lemon grass, and kaffir lime leaves in a food processor or pound in a mortar. Heat oil to medium-high and saute pepper mixture for 3 minutes.Stir in coconut milk and cook for 2 minutes.Add chicken (or vegetables) and cook for 5 minutes or until cooked. Reduce heat to medium-low.Stir in fish sauce, salt, and basil. Serve on a bed of chopped cabbage.

I'm cheating here because I've made this several times and it's one of my favorite grilled chicken recipes.

It's also easy on the waistline as there's no additional fat aside from the chicken. It's up to you whether you eat the skin.

The recipe is from Hot sour Salty Sweet.

Grilled Chicken with Hot and Sweet Dipping Sauce-Gai yang, ping gai

Pepper Coriander Root Flavor Paste

2 tsp black peppercorns
5-6 large cloves of garlic, chopped
3 tbs coarsely chopped coriander roots
pinch salt
1 tsp Thai fish sauce

I took the lazy route and whirled the peppercorns, garlic, salt and coriander roots to a paste with my mini-prep until it formed a paste and added the fish sauce. The recipe suggests pounding to a paste in a mortar and pestle, and I've done that before with good results.

Marinade

2 tbs Pepper Coriander Root Flavor Paste
2-3 tbs Thai fish sauce

3 lb chicken cut into 10-12 pieces

Hot and Sweet Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1-2 cloves garlic finely minced
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dried red pepper flakes(I whirled dried Thai chiles in my mini prep with the garlic)

Place the vinegar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Lower heat to medium low and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in garlic/pepper mixture. Let cool to room temperature. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Marinate chicken for one hour in flavor paste plus fish sauce for one hour at room temperature or 8 hours in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before grilling or broiling until done. Serve with sauce.

Back to Asian food! I wanted to make something refreshing that wouldn't heat up the kitchen.

I've made this salad twice and love it! The blend of herbs in the salad and seasoning in the dressing is perfect. I grilled my meat instead of broiling.

I got this recipe off The Monthly Challenge Blog but it's originally from the Bon Appetit (May 2001). The original source is The Blue Elephant Restaraunt in Paris (http://www.blueelephant.com/

Thai Lime Beef Salad

For the dressing:
7 T. fresh lime juice (about 5 limes)
7 T. fish sauce (nam pla)
3 T. minced, seeded jalapeno chilies
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. sugar

For the salad:
1 lb. flank steak
1 head romaine lettuce, torn in pieces
4 T. chopped fresh cilantro
2 tomatoes, quartered
3/4 c. chopped shallots
1/4 c. matchstick-size strips peeled cucumber
1/4 c. diced celery
1 T. chopped fresh mint
1 T. minced fresh lemongrass, or 1 t. grated lemon peel
1/4 c. thinly sliced radishes

Mix dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Let stand 30 minutes. (Dressing can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temp. before continuing).

Preheat broiler. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Broil to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer meat to cutting board. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut meat across grain into 2.5 inch wide strips. Cut strips crosswise into thin slices. Combine meat slices, lettuce, cilantro and next 6 ingredients (through lemongrass) in large bowl. Add enough dressing to taste (may not need all) and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with radishes.

I'm cooking Thai again. This recipe is from Hot Sour Salty Sweet: A Culinary Journey Through South East Asia by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid.

One of my favorite Thai dishes is Larb(also known as Laab)so I was happy to see I had all the ingredients for the Shan (NE Thailand) style on hand.

This is spicy hot and instead of poaching the meat, as in other larb recipes, the meat is stir fried with a paste and herbs

Normally the meat is minced or ground but I left mine in bigger chunks.

The end result was fantastic. I loved the flavors.

Aromatic Minced Pork-Shan Style (Laab Moo Tai Yai)

Paste:
6-8 cloves of garlic, skins on
3 TBS minced lemongrass
1 TBS minced galangal
6 dried Thai red chiles
1 tsp salt
1 TBS toasted sesame seeds

Put the garlic cloves in a dry pan over high heat and roast until the skins are mostly blackened.

When cool remove skins and chop.

Now you can do this in your mortar and pestle but I used my mini-chopper.

Finely chop garlic with salt then add remaining ingredients and process one by one until a paste is formed.

Laab

2 TBS peanut or vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped shallots
3/4 lb ground pork
1/2 cup chopped scallion greens
1/2 cup rough chopped coriander
1/4 cup chopped mint

Heat a large wok over high heat and add the oil. Add the shallots, lower the heat to medium and cook till browned about 4 minutes. Add the paste and break up with a spoon. Add the pork and cook till browned on all sides then an additional 2 minutes. Add the scallion greens, coriander and half the chopped mint. Remove from heat and mound on plates. Sprinkle with remaining mint. Serve with rice(I used jasmine) and vegetables.




Shot with Canon PowerShot A510 at 2007-08-02

Welcome to my blog!

I'm still trying to figure out the settings on my digital camera so these pictures aren't so great.

This blog is going to take us on a trip around the world through international cookbooks. The list to the left will be updated. I'll also throw in some recipes from other sources.

Friday night's journey started in Northern Thailand. This recipe is from Hot Sour Salty Sweet: a Culinary Journey Through Southeast Asia by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. If you don't already have this book, I highly recommend buying it. It's part travelogue part cookbook. The photography and narrative are excellent.

I chose Jungle Curry (page 246) partly because I like the sound of Jungle Curry and because we're in monsoon so it seemed like an appropriate dish on a hot balmy night.

Like most Asian recipes most of the time is spent prepping and setting up the mis-en-place. Once that's done it's smooth sailing.

This was also my first experience with shrimp paste. I had been warned of the smell but boy oh boy was I taken aback when I broke the wax seal! I was actually a little worried about the flavor it would give to the curry but from what I understand it works as an enhancer,like fish sauce. No trace of the stink in the final product.

I absolutely loved this dish! It was descibed as "hot" in the book but mine just had a little kick to it. I may increase the chiles when I make it again. I also discovered Jungle Curry is just as good the next day.

Ingredients for the Jungle Curry Paste


1/4 cup chopped shallots

1 tbs chopped garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbs minced galangal

1 heaping tbs minced lemongrass(approximately one stalk)

8 dried red chilis stemmed and minced

1 tbs coriander roots(I couldn't find them so I used stems)

2 wild lime leaves deveined and minced

1 tbs shrimp paste

(the recipe also calls for 1 optional tbs minced krachai. I couldn't find it so I left it out)

Put the shallots and garlic in a large mortar and pound to a paste. Add each ingredient one by one pounding and grinding to a coarse paste.

You can also use a blender but I like my mortar and pestle.


Ingredients for the dish:


1 lb boneless pork cut into small pieces(I used butt)
2 tbs vegetable oil
2 tbs minced garlic chopped
3 round Thai eggplants quartered
1/2 lb yard beans or green beans cut into 1 inch sections
3 tbs Thai fish sauce(I like Golden Boy)
4 wild lime leaves coarsely torn
1 cup Asian basil leaves
salt to taste
(the recipe also calls for an optional 1/4 cup thinly sliced krachai to be added with the eggplants. I couldn't find it so I left it out)

Heat a large wok over high heat. Add oil and swirl to coat. Add garlic and stir until it begins to golden. Add curry paste and stir fry for 30 seconds pressing into the side of the wok. Add the pork and stir-fry until it begins to borwn on all sides 2-3 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the eggplants, beans, fish sauce and half the lime leaves and cook for 8 minutes. Add the remaining lime leaves and simmer for another 15 seconds.

Remove from heat and stir in the basil leaves. Salt to taste. Serve with sticky rice.

I had my Jungle Curry with a glass of Hirsch Veltliner. It was recommended as a "wine that goes with everything" by the woman in the wine shop. It's a thirst quencher of a wine. I'd describe it as citrusy and crisp. And affordable.

I know the quality of this photo sucks.
But it was a drab looking but fab tasting dish!