Naam Prik Chile Sauce
yield: ¾ cup
PROCEDURE
yield: ¾ cup
PROCEDURE
- 1 Dissolve the sugar in the hot water. Let cool.
- 2 Combine remaining ingredients.
Ma Hor Galloping Horses
serves 4
PROCEDURE
serves 4
PROCEDURE
- 1 Heat wok over medium heat. When hot, add oil. Add garlic, and stir-fry 30 seconds.
- 2 Add pork, fish sauce, brown sugar, and black pepper. Stir-fry until pork is cooked.
- 3 Stir in peanuts; mix. Remove from heat and let cool.
- 4 Place lettuce leaves on serving platter. Arrange tangerine slices on lettuce. Put a heaping teaspoon of the cooked meat on each slice.
- 5 Garnish with mint and cilantro leaves.
- 6 Serve chilled or room temperature with chiles on the side.
Tord Man Pla Fried Fish Cakes
serves 4
PROCEDURE
serves 4
PROCEDURE
- 1 Pound or process fish, fish sauce, curry paste, galangal, and egg to a smooth paste. Do not overprocess.
- 2 Add kaffir leaves and mix well. Moisten hands with water and shape mixture into small cakes, about 3 inches (7.2 cm) by ¼ inch (.6 cm) thick.
- 3 Heat oil to 350°F (176°C). Fry cakes until both sides are light brown, pressing down on the cakes. Drain on paper towels.
Nam Prik Kaeng Ped Red Curry Paste
yield: 3 tablespoons
PROCEDURE
yield: 3 tablespoons
PROCEDURE
- 1 Pound or process all ingredients in a mortar, blender, or processor to a smooth paste. Add a little more oil if necessary.
Tom Yam Goong Hot and Spicy Shrimp Soup
yield: serves 4
PROCEDURE
yield: serves 4
PROCEDURE
- 1 Peel, wash, and devein shrimp; reserve the shells. Cut shrimp in half lengthwise.
- 2 Heat the oil and sauté the shrimp shells until they turn pink, 2 to 3 minutes.
- 3 Add chicken stock. Cut off the top of the lemongrass; reserve the bottom 5 inches (12 cm). Bruise the lemongrass stalks with the side of a cleaver or knife. Add to stock. Slice the remaining bottom inches into paper-thin slices.
- 4 Pound or process the sliced lemongrass, cilantro stems, garlic, green chiles, Kaffir leaves, lime zest, and white pepper to a paste.
- 5 Add the paste to the stock and stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook 20 minutes. Strain.
- 6 Return stock to heat and bring back to a boil.
- 7 Add shrimp and mushrooms; cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until shrimp are just cooked.
- 8 Remove from heat; add fish sauce and lime juice, and correct seasoning.
- 9 Serve hot, with red chiles, cilantro leaves, and green onions on the side.
Mun Tot Fried Sweet Potatoes
serves 4
PROCEDURE
serves 4
PROCEDURE
- 1 Combine all ingredients except sweet potatoes and stir to a paste. Do not overmix.
- 2 Heat deep fryer to 375°F (190°C).
- 3 Dip sweet potato pieces into batter and fry until golden. Drain on paper towels.
- 4 Serve with peanut sauce.
Yam Makeua Issaan Grilled Eggplant Salad
serves 4
PROCEDURE
serves 4
PROCEDURE
- 1 Prick the eggplant all over with a small knife or fork. Grill or broil until well softened and browned, 10 to 15 minutes, or oven-roast. Remove from heat and cool.
- 2 Broil or roast shallots, garlic, and chiles until soft and covered with a few black spots. Remove from heat and cool. Peel and coarsely chop.
- 3 Pound or process shallots, garlic, and chiles to a coarse paste.
- 4 Remove skin from the eggplants and coarsely chop. Mash to a lumpy mixture; add chile paste and mix.
- 5 Stir in the green onions, cilantro, mint, lime juice, and fish sauce.
- 6 Garnish with sesame seeds. Serve with Crispy Rice Crackers.
Khao Tang Crispy Rice Crackers
serves 4
PROCEDURE
serves 4
PROCEDURE
- 1 Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
- 2 With a rice paddle or wooden spoon, spread the rice onto a lightly oiled baking sheet to make a layer about ½ inch (1.2 cm) thick. Press down to compact the rice so that it sticks together.
- 3 Place sheet pan into oven and turn down the temperature to 250°F (121°C). Let dry 3 to 4 hours; the bottom will be a light brown.
- 4 Heat 2 inches (4.8 cm) oil to 350°F (176°C) or use a deep fryer. To test the temperature, drop a small piece of dried rice cake into the oil. It should sink to the bottom and immediately float back to the surface without burning or crisping. Adjust the heat as necessary.
- 5 Break off rice cakes and fry in the hot oil. When the first side stops swelling, turn over and cook on the other side until well puffed and just starting to brown, 30 seconds. Remove and drain on a paper towels.
Pad Thai
Thai Fried Noodles
serves 4
Chef Tip Noodles for Pad Thai should be soaked with warm, not boiling, water. Noodles should be somewhat flexible and solid, not completely expanded and soft.
PROCEDURE
Thai Fried Noodles
serves 4
Chef Tip Noodles for Pad Thai should be soaked with warm, not boiling, water. Noodles should be somewhat flexible and solid, not completely expanded and soft.
PROCEDURE
- 1 Mix together tamarind, sugar, fish sauce, chile peppers, and preserved turnip, set aside.
- 2 Heat wok over high heat; when hot, add oil. Fry the peanuts until toasted and remove from wok.
- 3 Add shallot, garlic, and tofu; stir-fry until they start to brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
- 4 Add drained noodles; they should be flexible but not expanded.
- 5 Stir-fry to prevent sticking. Add tamarind mixture; stir. If the wok is not hot enough you will see a lot of juice; if so, turn up the heat.
- 6 Move the ingredients to one side and crack the egg into the wok. Scramble until it is almost set. Fold the egg into the noodles.
- 7 Add shrimp and pork and stir-fry until cooked.
- 8 Add half the bean sprouts and chives. Stir and cook 30 seconds. The noodles should be soft and very tangled.
- 9 Serve sprinkled with peanuts, the remaining bean sprouts, and chives, and lime wedge on the side.
Kaeng Kiew Warn Kai
Green Curry with Chicken
serves 4
PROCEDURE
Green Curry with Chicken
serves 4
PROCEDURE
- 1 Over medium heat, bring the ½ cup (4 ounces, 120 ml) thick coconut milk to a boil, stirring until it thickens and has an oily surface.
- 2 Add the curry paste. Continue cooking and stirring until the oil has separated from the curry, about 3 to 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn it.
- 3 Add the chicken and stir-fry until the chicken is firm, 3 to 5 minutes.
- 4 Add the 3 cups coconut milk; gradually stirring, return to a low boil. Reduce heat, add eggplant, fish sauce, brown sugar, salt, lime zest, half the basil leaves, and Kaffir lime; and simmer 5 to 10 minutes until the chicken and eggplant are tender.
- 5 Add red bell pepper and cook 1 minute.
- 6 Garnish with remaining basil leaves and serve with jasmine rice.
Green Curry Paste
PROCEDURE
PROCEDURE
- 1 Combine coriander, cumin, and peppercorns.
- 2 Pound or process to reduce ingredients to a paste. Place cilantro stems in a mortar with a pinch of salt and pound until well soft and breaking down. Add the lemongrass and work to mash. Add garlic and another pinch of salt and continue to work. Once the garlic is mashed, add the shallots, then the ginger and lime juice mash. Add the lime zest and another pinch of salt; work to a coarse paste.
- 3 Add the spice blend and mash and pound until well combined. Add chopped chiles and remaining salt, work until broken down and somewhat smooth. Set aside.
- 4 Place the shrimp paste on a piece of aluminum foil about 8 × 4 9. (19.2 × 6 cm) inches. Spread it out in a thin layer; fold to a flat package. Place in a pan over high heat and cook 3 minutes on the first side, pressing it down. Turn over and repeat. You should smell the hot shrimp paste. Remove and work into the curry while hot.
Khao Niew Mam Uang
Mangoes and Sticky Rice
serves 4
PROCEDURE
Mangoes and Sticky Rice
serves 4
PROCEDURE
- 1 Place the rice on cheesecloth and steam over water 20 to 25 minutes or until the rice is soft.
- 2 Dissolve the ½ cup (4 ounces, 112 g) sugar, salt, and thick coconut milk together over medium heat. Bring to a slow boil and remove from heat immediately.
- 3 Add the rice to the hot milk; stir until completely mixed. Cover and let stand 30 minutes.
- 4 Bring the remaining coconut milk to a boil, add the salt and ¼ cup (4 ounces, 112 g) sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar.
- 5 Serve the sliced mangoes with sticky rice and coconut topping.
Cha Yen Thai Iced Tea
serves 4
PROCEDURE
serves 4
PROCEDURE
- 1 Place tea in a coffee filter in a drip cone set over a pot.
- 2 Bring water to a boil and pour over the tea. Allow tea to drip through. Repeat this procedure 5 times, until the tea is a deep reddish orange color and very strong.
- 3 Add the condensed milk to the tea and allow the mixture to come to room temperature.
- 4 To serve, fill tall glasses with ice; fill half full with the tea/condensed milk mixture, then fill the other half with milk. Stir.